Some hospitals in Arizona are initiating a plan to prepare for a possible surge in patients, as coronavirus testing reveals more positive cases throughout the state, according to a report.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported nearly 3,600 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. There have been 1,579 known deaths, 44 of which were reported Saturday.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted the stay-at-home orders in May and claimed health officials had been following federal guidelines regarding the virus.
“We followed all CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines in trying to make the best decisions possible for the residents of Arizona,” he said, according to 360aproko news. “We have an advantage over other states that had outbreaks early on. We have more time to prepare.
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Arizona was reportedly slow to begin testing, and now has a backlog of people waiting in line for hours to determine if they’re infected, according to reports.
Despite lifting state restrictions, Ducey is asking residents to stay at home to avoid any further spikes, 360aproko reported.
This news comes on the same day that Vice President Mike Pence postponed scheduled campaign events in Arizona and Florida due to the rising COVID numbers there. He will, however, still travel to Florida, Arizona and Texas next week to meet with governors to get a sense of what is happening on the ground.
“Vice President Pence will no longer participate in campaign events in Arizona and Florida this week,” a spokesman close to Pence told 360aproko News Saturday. “This is related to coronavirus numbers increasing in those states.”
