COVID-19 cases continued to fall in Coconino County the week ending Feb. 26, according to the latest dashboard data report, with a total of 184 new cases reported for the week.
The report now includes two community COVID metric charts, measuring community transmission and community levels.
Community transmission metrics have been used to determine overall levels since the summer. The case rate and percentage of positive tests over the past week are put into one of four transmission categories (low, moderate, substantial and high), with the highest indicator determining the county’s community transmission level.
According to this metric, Coconino County currently has a high rate of community transmission.
The case rate is 130 per 100,000, down from 190.8 the previous week, but still in the high category, and the 9.5% positivity of testing (down from 10.7% last week) is in the substantial category.
Chart from the March 4 Coconino County COVID-19 weekly update showing the metrics used to determine the rate of community transmission.
The community levels chart reflects the latest update to CDC guidance, announced last Friday. It uses the rate of new cases and COVID hospital admissions as well as the “percentage of staffed in-patient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients” over the past week to determine a county’s level in three categories (low, medium and high).
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Using these metrics, Coconino County currently has a medium community level.
The case rate (130 per 100,000) is below 200 per 100,000, which is used to determine the other metrics’ thresholds. The county has reported a medium rate of new COVID admissions (13.1 per 100,000) and a low percentage (6.5%) of beds occupied by COVID patients.
Chart from the March 4 Coconino County dashboard data report showing the metrics used to determine community levels.
The community level does not apply in healthcare settings (hospitals and nursing homes, for example) — which should continue to use the community transmission rates, according to the dashboard report.
Mask requirements across Flagstaff started to end this week in response to last Friday’s update to CDC guidance and metrics. Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD), Northland Preparatory Academy and Flagstaff Junior Academy’s boards all voted to remove or set end dates for their mask mandates this week, as did Northern Arizona University and the City of Flagstaff.
The number of new cases (184) reported in Coconino County for the week ending Feb. 26 is lower than the same week last year (231) for the first time in 2022.
Residents between the ages of 20 and 44 had the highest case rate for the week (169 per 100,000) and those younger than 20 (10.9%) and older than 65 (10.4%) had the highest percent positivity.
Nine people were hospitalized with COVID in Coconino County this week (down from 19 the week before) and no COVID deaths were reported (two last week). The rate of hospital visits with COVID-like illness also fell, to 5.2% from 8.2% the week before.
The number of tests conducted in both Coconino County (3,050) and at NAU (1,042) decreased (from 3,730 and 1,387 last week, respectively). NAU’s positivity yield for the week is 3.8%, evenly split as to whether they are affiliated with the university (20 positive tests each).
Omicron continued to be the most prevalent variant in both Coconino County and Arizona in February, accounting for over 99% of genomes sequenced, according to TGen’s Arizona COVID-19 sequencing dashboard. It lists 2,115 sequenced omicron genomes in the county as of Friday.
According to the schools report, both Flagstaff Unified School District and charter schools reported a substantial case rate and moderate percent positivity for the week, placing them at a substantial transmission level overall. The schools report is using the community transmission chart to determine these rates.
FUSD’s case rate was 89 per 100,000 (from 158 last week) and its percent positivity was 6.8% (from 8.7%). Flagstaff charter schools had a case rate of 87 (from 146) and a positivity yield of 6.6% (from 8.2%). Both have now had a positivity rate below 10% for two consecutive weeks.
FUSD reported six new cases for the week, less than half the previous week’s total (14). Its total for the 2021-2022 school year is now 2,486 cases.
More can be found at coconino.az.gov/2294/COVID-19-Information.
