PHOENIX | Arizona reported 11,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 200 deaths on Friday.
Arizona had one person of every 111 diagnosed with coronavirus from Dec. 31 to Thursday, the highest rate in the country.
With the surge stressing Arizona hospitals, 4,907 COVID-19 patients occupied inpatient beds on Thursday, including a pandemic record 1,122 in intensive care beds, according to the state’s coronavirus dashboard.
The Arizona Republic reported that in response to the surge, the Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Board on Friday voted 5-4 to cancel the winter high school sports season in the state, which consists of boys and girls basketball, soccer and wrestling.
BREAKING STORY: AIA board votes to cancel high school winter sports season amid surging COVID-19 cases https://t.co/dWS6JETPFk via @azcentral
— Richard Obert (@azc_obert) January 8, 2021
The start of the season has already been delayed until Jan. 18, but after hearing from Arizona’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and all nine members of the board, the vote came back to cancel the season.
Arizona’s vaccination program expanded eligibility, offering shots to police, teachers, childcare workers and people 75 or older. Those eligible in the first phase last month included health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
The state registered 11,658 cases and 197 deaths on Friday, increasing the pandemic totals to 596,251 cases and 9,938 deaths.