Arizona counts 18 more virus deaths, case count nears 7,000

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona health officials said Tuesday the state counted 18 news coronavirus deaths and a continued surge of new cases.

The new death tally came a day after state officials reported the first day with no deaths since March. Arizona has 6,948 confirmed cases of the new virus after adding 232 on Tuesday. There have been 293 deaths across the state.

The state Department of Health Services is tracking confirmed cases, but a lack of testing and the fact that many people have few or no symptoms means the number of cases is likely much higher.

Last week saw a major surge of deaths, with three days of 20 or more.

Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-home order is set to expire Thursday night, and he is considering whether to extend it, modify it or let it end as initially planned.

Meanwhile, the Arizona agency that administers unemployment insurance benefits reported late Monday that it received more than 52,000 new claims last week. That bring the six-week total of people who lost jobs since the pandemic hit the state to more than 470,000 people.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.