SAFFORD — According to data provided by Graham County Health Department, 10 percent of the seniors who contracted COVID-19 have died.
Since the start of the pandemic, 305 residents over the age of 65 have tested positive for coronavirus. There have been 36 deaths, with 32 of those involving persons over the age of 65, including the most recent, a Safford resident on Dec. 1.
The result is a 10.5 percent mortality rate for Graham County residents age 65 and older.
Of the other four deaths, three were between the ages of 50 and 64 and one was between the ages of 40 and 49.
Taking into account all of the residents who have tested positive since the start of the pandemic — 2,256 as of Dec. 2 — and all 36 deaths, Graham County’s overall mortality rate is 1.6 percent.
In addition to the death on Dec. 1., the Health Department also reported 41 new cases to start the month — 27 on Dec. 1 and 14 on Dec. 2. Twenty-seven of the new cases involve residents of the Safford area, six are on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and four each are in Pima and Thatcher.
Twenty-four residents between the ages of 20 and 44 tested positive, followed by six each in those under 20 and 65 and older, four of the new cases involve persons between 45 and 54, and one is a person between 55 and 64 years old.
Greenlee County
Greenlee County added 28 new cases of coronavirus to close out November and start December.
Greenlee County Health Department reported 12 new cases Monday and 16 new cases Tuesday, bringing the county’s total to 262.
Of the total, 142 cases are considered active and there have been three deaths.
Greenlee County added 143 new cases in November, a 138.9 percent increase in new cases during the month.
Editor’s note: This story was edited at 11:43 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, to correct the number of new cases in Thatcher and Pima.
