PHOENIX — After a low-reporting Monday, Arizona Department of Health Services recorded more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the first day after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, only 822 cases were recorded. Mondays commonly show lower-than-normal numbers due to a lag in reporting across the state. Arizona has recently been seeing an average of 3,000 to 4,000 cases a day.
Tuesday's records added 10,322 new cases and 48 additional deaths.
Even with the 10,322 cases being the result of a reporting lag from the holiday, COVID-19 cases have reached a new peak in Arizona. On November 23 there were 5,574 positive tests collected. The previous high occurred on June 29 with 5,451. It is also still possible that more cases will be added to November 23 as state health officials continue to research data that comes in from laboratories and state health departments.
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"This large number of newly reported cases is a result of the extended four-day weekend," ADHS said in a statement. "Most days, local health agencies review and classify newly reported cases (identifying them as confirmed, probable, or not a case). They will follow up with healthcare providers and laboratories if there are any questions about details on a case, which may take additional time over the holidays."
ADHS reiterated, "It is important to note that these newly reported cases were from specimens collected over the last week and are not all from yesterday."
However, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened more than one million passengers on Sunday, marking the highest numbers since March.
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ADHS also said Tuesday, "The numbers are still trending in a concerning direction, especially considering that the number of holiday parties and gatherings are expected to increase over the next few weeks."
ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ posted a new message on the department's blog Tuesday, saying, "COVID-19 is highly contagious, and it is estimated that 50% of the spread is due to asymptomatic individuals — an additional risk when gathering with loved ones or close friends."
Dr. Christ is urging people to not let their guard down and continue to follow guidelines, wear masks and do their part to avoid spreading the virus.
Additionally, Tucson's mayor is proposing a curfew to help curb the spread of the virus and many schools are going back to remote learning.
See the latest Arizona coronavirus case counts below.