The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show high levels of COVID-19 transmission throughout most of Arizona, including all counties in the northern half of the state.
The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public places due to the high community levels.
Community levels are calculated from new cases, new hospital admissions, and the percent of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients. Cases have been steadily rising since April.
The Arizona Department of Health Services says a subvariant of Omicron accounts for a growing share of cases in Arizona. It may be more effective at eluding immune protection offered by vaccination or previous illness. Vaccines are still effective at reducing the risk of serious illness.
Recent statewide data show unvaccinated people are eight times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID, and more than twenty times as likely to die of the disease.
COVID vaccines are now authorized for everyone over the age of 6 months.
See community levels in all counties: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
