Arizona reports 2,855 new COVID-19 cases, 27 more deaths

Arizona health officials are reporting 2,855 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and another 27 related deaths.

The state Department of Health Services dashboard released the new figures Thursday morning. This brings the totals for Arizona since the pandemic's onset to 1,058,774 cases and 19,360 deaths.

Since Aug. 30, hospitalizations due to the virus have hovered just above 2,000. As of Wednesday, 2,050 patients were hospitalized.

Hospital systems throughout the state say unvaccinated individuals continue to make up the majority of their caseload.

Currently, 4.1 million people in Arizona — or 57.1% of the eligible population — have received at least one dose of a vaccine. More than 3.6 million have been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Banner Health, the biggest hospital chain serving Arizona, warned against using the anti-parasitic medicine ivermectin to ward off the virus. Last month Banner's poison center dealt with 10 cases of people using the medicine, which does not have FDA approval. Some of the cases were serious enough to require hospitalization, said Dr. Marjorie Bessel, Banner's chief clinical officer.

Ivermectin is being tested in drug trials as a COVID-19 treatment. It is typically sometimes prescribed for worms, scabies and head lice. It's more popular as a treatment for parasitic infections and infestations in livestock.

“Please speak with your primary care provider about treatment options for COVID, and do not attempt to purchase drugs like Ivermectin through unauthorized sources,” Bessel said.