Arizona's Coronavirus Death Toll Passes 6,000

ARIZONA — Arizona's confirmed coronavirus death toll exceeded 6,000 on Tuesday.

The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 38 more deaths and 1,679 additional cases, increasing Arizona's totals to 6,020 deaths and 249,818 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations for coronavirus patients reached 956 Monday, a level last reported in late August. The rolling average of new daily cases rose from 835 on Oct. 19 to 1,311 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press. Approximately 9.6 percent of tests are returning positive.

The rolling average of daily deaths rose from 10.1 to 15.3 and the positivity average increased from 8.9% to 11.8%.Arizona was a national coronavirus hot spot in June and July.

Infections and related hospitalizations declined before increasing again in September.

Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ warned Arizonans in a recent blog post to stay on high alert as the state's coronavirus cases began to increase.

"The increased cases and percent positivity show that COVID-19 is still actively circulating and highlights the need for Arizonans to continue taking the important prevention steps they have been following over the past few months: wearing a mask when out in public, staying physically distanced from people who are not in your household, washing your hands frequently, avoiding large gatherings, and staying home when sick," she wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.