ValleyWise Health sees increase in COVID-19 cases despite increasing vaccination numbers Increase in COVID-19 hospitalization sparks fears of 3rd surge Officials with ValleyWise Health say as of May 5, there are 18 people in their ICU due to COVID-19, compared with just five at the end of April. Ventilator use, meanwhile, has also increased. PHOENIX - While many in Arizona are hoping to get life back to normal by the summer, a local health organization says not so fast, as they are seeing an uptick in new COVID-19 cases. Officials with ValleyWise Health say over the last two weeks, they have seen an increase in the number of patients being hospitalized with COVID-19. At the end of April, they had only five people in the ICU, and no ventilators in use. As of the morning of May 5, that number has jumped to 18 hospitalized COVID patients, with seven of them using a ventilator.