Number of coronavirus cases in Arizona now up to 18
PHOENIX (AP) — The number of coronavirus cases in Arizona has risen to 18, state health officials reported Monday.
The Arizona Department of Health Services posted the new figure on its website, up from 13 on Sunday. Several of the new cases were found through testing from a commercial laboratory, not a state lab.
The agency said via Twitter that it recently expanded testing to third-party entities.
The department is also no longer reporting the number of pending tests. Third-party labs are not required to disclose those.
Eight of Arizona’s cases were found in Maricopa County. The rest were spread across Pinal and Pima counties, with one case in rural Graham County. The increase comes a day after the governor and school superintendent ordered a statewide closure of schools for the next two weeks.
Many schools across metro Phoenix on Monday provided curbside breakfast and lunch for students who rely on meal programs.
The state’s three major universities all announced they would conduct online instruction for the rest of the semester. They initially planned to go online-only for a minimum of two weeks.
For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
