The purpose of the shutdown was, according to officials, to allow the hospitals to build patient capacity and slow the spread of the virus.
The Arizona Department of Health Services has tracked COVID-19 hospitalization data since early April, and in the days and weeks that followed, the number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients admitted to a hospital soared—reaching a peak in July before decreasing for a period of time but is increasing day-by-day now. Of the 3,173,905 COVID-19 tests in Arizona, 14.2% have yielded positive results as of Jan. 15. This accounts for diagnostic test results, not antibody test results.
The number of COVID-19 related inpatient hospitalizations was 4,866 as of Jan. 14, according to data from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The number of intensive care unit, or ICU, beds in use by COVID-19 patients grew after the state ended its stay-at-home order May 15 and peaked July 13 at 970. As of Jan. 14, the number of ICU beds across the state in use by COVID-19 patients had surpassed summer highs and was at 1,138.
The state also tracks the number of positive or suspected COVID-19 cases seen in emergency rooms across the state. There were 2,120 COVID-19 emergency department visits reported on Jan. 14. This metric has been on the rise since October.
