Holiday weekend sees 814 new COVID-19 cases, nine deaths, in Yavapai County

YAVAPAI COUNTY – The long Thanksgiving holiday weekend saw 814 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and nine deaths in Yavapai County.

Since testing began in January, the county has confirmed 5,650 COVID-19 positive tests, 118 deaths and 1,816 recoveries.

Prescott was the hardest hit community in the county over the holiday weekend with 251 new cases. Cottonwood reported 122 new cases.

Throughout the Sedona-Verde Valley region, there were 258 cases reported.

Yavapai Community Health Services has confirmed 2,071 cases in the Sedona-Verde Valley region since testing began. That total includes:

-840 confirmed in Cottonwood.

-465 in Camp Verde.

-285 in Sedona.

-145 in Clarkdale.

-137 in Rimrock.

-113 in Cornville.

-74 in the Village of Oak Creek.

-11 in Jerome.

-One case elsewhere in the Verde Valley.

YCCHS reports 64,333 people in Yavapai County have been tested for COVID-19 with 91.2% of those being negative.

Women outpace men by a 3,107-2,537 margin for positive COVID-19 tests in Yavapai County, according to YCCHS.

Hospital Reports

Monday morning, Verde Valley Medical Center reported 24 COVID-positive patient admitted with no tests pending. The Cottonwood hospital showed a census of 54 patients with six in critical care.

Flagstaff Medical Center reported 36 positive tests with 13 results pending. FMC has admitted 188 patients; 32 of those patients are in critical care.

Arizona COVID-19 cases and deaths by month

-12,475 cases and 597 deaths in May.

-63,920 cases and 803 deaths in June.

-92,930 cases and 1,977 deaths in July.

-25,307 cases and 1,297 deaths in August.

-16,361 cases and 600 deaths in September.

-28,216 cases and 306 deaths in October.

-So for in November, 79,336 cases and 685 deaths.

Arizona’s daily average for new COVID-19 cases, by month:

-May, 415 new cases each day.

-June, 2,130 new cases each day.

-July, 2,997 new cases each day.

-August, 816 cases each day.

-September, 545 cases each day.

-October, 910 cases each day.

-So for in November, 2,735 cases each day.

Timeline for the COVID-19 vaccines

Emergency authorizations have a lower threshold for regulation than a full approval, which is a more time-consuming and involved process. Soon after Pfizer filed for approval, the FDA announced that its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) would convene on December 10 to discuss Pfizer's data and make recommendations regarding the vaccine. The advisory committee is comprised of experts who give guidance to the FDA. It is possible that the committee could vote to recommend that Pfizer’s COVID vaccine is safe and effective on December 10, then in a separate decision the EUA heads to the full FDA for consideration. This process could take a few days or about a week, which could have the vaccine granted its authorization by Dec. 18.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has broadly outlined its approach for developing recommendations for the use of each COVID-19 vaccine authorized or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization or licensure. There are four ethical principles that will assist ACIP in formulating recommendations for the allocation of COVID-19 vaccine while supply is limited, in addition to scientific data and implementation feasibility:

1. Allocation of COVID-19 vaccine should maximize the benefits of vaccination to both individual recipients and the population overall.
   

2. Inherent in the principle of justice is an obligation to protect and advance equal opportunity for all persons to enjoy the maximal health and well-being possible. Justice rests on the belief in the fundamental value and dignity of all persons.
   

3. Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.

4. Transparency relates to the decision-making process and is essential to building and maintaining public trust during vaccine program planning and implementation.