The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report 10 of Arizona’s 15 counties have high COVID-19 community levels. That means masks are recommended for public indoor settings.
The ten counties include Coconino, Apache, Navajo, Yavapai and Maricopa. Only three counties had high community levels last week. The CDC says community levels reflect that COVID-19 remains active.
The Omicron subvariant BA.5 accounts for a rapidly growing share of new cases in Arizona, according to the latest CDC data. Research suggests it is more resistant to vaccine than previous variants.
In addition, high levels may also reflect that immunity may begin to wane over time after the last infection or vaccination.