PHOENIX (AP) -
Arizona health officials reported 28 additional deaths from the coronavirus outbreak with 462 additional cases of COVID-19 statewide as of Saturday.
The number of deaths statewide increased to 679 while the number of COVID-19 cases rose to 13,631, the Department of Health Services said.
The department on Saturday began a two-week extension of a “testing blitz” for COVID-19, with more than 70 sites in at least nine counties participating in this weekend’s event.
Testing would be available for anyone who thinks they have been exposed and could be infected based on criteria set by each testing site, the department said.
Costs of testing vary by site and some may require people to pre-registration through a website, the department said.
The testing helps officials about how COVID-19 is spread in Arizona, said Dr. Cara Christ, the department’s director.
More than 15,000 tests were conducted May 2 and May 9, the department said.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
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This story has been corrected to say testing was scheduled in over 70 sites, not over 70 states.
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