Pima County Hospitals Reach Capacity Amid Coronavirus Surge

TUCSON, AZ — With coronavirus cases on the rise, Pima County hospitals are reaching their breaking point.

The Pima County Office of Emergency Management issued an advisory Wednesday saying all county hospitals are officially at capacity, which is directly attributed to increased coronavirus cases across the county.

"COVID-19 transmission is HIGH and hospitals are at capacity," the office said. "Stay home if you can, especially if you're sick, and wear a mask when out in public."

Inpatient capacity dipped below 50 available beds on Dec. 3 in the county. Now, capacity is at zero.

The city of Tucson has a mask mandate in place and instituted a citywide curfew on Friday to help curb the spread of the virus. All residents must stay out of public spaces and streets between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. until Dec. 23, though people traveling to or from work, or experiencing an emergency, will be exempt.

Arizona reported 4,444 new coronavirus cases and 108 deaths Wednesday. The high number of deaths is partially due to death certificate matching, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County recorded 721 cases and 16 deaths, some of its highest numbers since the start of the pandemic.

In response to this dwindling capacity, the county is asking residents to stay home when possible, wear a face covering and limit small gatherings, especially as the holiday season approaches.