Arizona currently labeled as the Covid-19 ‘hotspot of the world’

Lilly Threlkeld, Managing Editor

Over the past seven days there has been an average of 10,391 positive Coronavirus cases per day in Arizona, a 71 % increase from the previous two weeks. This makes Arizona one of the leading states in Covid-19 numbers.

Currently at Combs high school there are seven confirmed Covid-19 cases and 102 people have had to switch to online because they were exposed. 

Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the Biodesign Institute research center at Arizona State University, labeled the state as “the hot spot of the world right now,” in an interview with ABC news.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services 13.8% of Arizonans have tested positive for Covid-19.

As cases continue to rise, Arizona public health officers are afraid that the state will soon be in the same spot as Los Angeles county where the increase in Covid-19 cases has caused ambulance crews to be unable to transport patients and a shortage of oxygen. 

“It’s way worse than July already, and it’s going to continue to get worse.” Will Humble, head of the Arizona Public Health Association said in his blog, “We’re probably two weeks behind LA in terms of our situation.”

Some health officials believe things like a mandated mask order could help stop the spread of the virus but Gov. Doug Ducy doesn’t believe that a mandate would effectively curb the spread of the virus. 

“I take targeted measures,” Ducey said in a Briefing on November 18, 2020, “I want to do things in a way that will actually have an effect on public health, that will slow the spread, contain the spread.”