Arizona reports dip in new virus cases; pace of deaths rises

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona on Tuesday reported fewer than 2,000 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the first time in two weeks as the pace of the state’s death toll rose. The newly reported  1,934 cases and 71 deaths increased the pandemic totals to over 1,070,700 cases and nearly 19,600 deaths. The state’s coronavirus dashboard reported that virus-related hospitalization levels were below 2,000 for the fourth consecutive day, with 1,933 COVID-19 patients occupying hospital beds as of Monday. Johns Hopkins University data showed the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths rising during the past two weeks from 35.5 on Sept. 5 to 46.6 on Sunday.