Arizona’s Department of Health Services reported 4,544 positive COVID-19 cases Tuesday. That’s the second-highest one-day total since the pandemic began. Even though new cases are nearly as high as they’ve ever been, positivity rates haven’t caught up with the summer surge yet.

This month, Arizona has been processing more COVID-19 tests than ever before. The state has reported nearly 20,000 tests a day on average over the past week — surpassing the previous testing peak from early July. 

Positivity rates among those tests have been steadily rising for several weeks. The state reports about 12% of tests have recently been positive. That’s still far short of summer levels when the state recorded a high of 21% weekly test positivity. But public health officials warn positive cases are likely to continue climbing fast as we enter the holiday season.

With cases rising, Arizona's ICU beds are at 89% capacity. Some experts warn the state's hospitals will run out of staffed beds by mid-December. 

→ What Is Arizona's COVID-19 Positivity Rate? That's Harder To Answer Than You Might Think