1 In Every 400 Arizonans Has Now Died From COVID-19

Published: Monday, July 5, 2021 - 3:26pm

Updated: Tuesday, July 6, 2021 - 8:55am

Ben Giles/KJZZ

Photos at the vigil for Mark “Black Jack” Urquiza, at the Arizona Capitol on July 8, 2020.

One in every 400 Arizonans has now died of COVID-19. The grim milestone comes as the average number of new daily cases in the state is on the rise.

Nearly 18,000 Arizonans have died since the start of the pandemic. Experts believe the number is likely an undercount. Only five states have lost a larger share of their populations to the disease.

At the peak of the state’s winter outbreak, Arizona was seeing an average of 175 deaths per day. That figure has fallen dramatically, but about eight Arizonans per day are still dying of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report Arizona is once again seeing one of the highest rates of new infections in the country. The state is averaging more than 500 new cases per day, up from about 400 a day one month ago.