Arizona’s Department of Health Services is reporting its largest one-day increase in positive COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began. Seven hundred and two new positive cases were confirmed Friday. The state has never reported more than 600 cases in one day until now.

When Gov. Doug Ducey in mid-May announced plans to begin reopening the state, he said increased testing would result in more cases being identified. But he said the percentage of all tests with positive results had been declining.

“That is a good trajectory. More people are being tested with a lower percentage testing positive," Ducey said May 12. 

That positive rate now also appears to be back on the rise. As of Friday, state data shows about 8% of tests performed are coming back positive, up from 5% at the beginning of May, though more recent data may be incomplete.

The number of COVID-19 patients in Arizona hospitals also rose above 900 for the first time this week. In a media conference Thursday, Director Cara Christ said the Arizona Department of Health Services doesn’t make decisions based on one-day numbers.

“What we’re going to be looking for is trends in that data over weeks," Christ said. 

Arizona’s testing blitz efforts continue throughout the state this weekend.

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