The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say Arizona now has the fourth-highest COVID-19 death rate in the U.S.
The state's COVID-19 hospitalizations increased for the fourth straight day as Arizona's seven-day rolling averages for virus cases and deaths rose over two weeks.
The dashboard shows 61 additional COVID-19 deaths and 7,749 newly confirmed cases.
Higher than normal student absentee rates were reported Wednesday in Arizona's most populous county, where many school districts resumed classes this week amid a surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Districts in Maricopa County and the metro Phoenix area reporting more students than usual are absent from school following the holidays.