COVID-19 outbreak in Arizona is 'still bad' and 'not under control': doctor Seana Smith While Arizona’s COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have declined significantly from their peaks, health experts warn that the pandemic “is still not under control” in the state. “It's still bad. I want to be clear on that.” Dr. Murtaza Akhter, assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix told Yahoo Finance Live. “They were really, really, really terrible a couple weeks ago and now they're only really, really terrible.” Arizona reported 4,381 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday — that’s a 75% drop from its record high of 17,234 on Jan. 3 but still the fifth highest nationwide. The state’s hospitalization rate is also trending lower. According to the COVID Tracking Project, 2,744 people were hospitalized in Arizona for COVID-19 on Tuesday, down nearly 50% from a record of 5,082 on Jan. 12.