Phoenix and Tucson residents who have concerns about COVID-19 symptoms or possible exposure can now call a Banner Health hotline and speak with a clinical team member to determine if they need to be tested.

This hotline is tied to Banner's new effort to establish drive-up COVID-19 testing sites in metropolitan areas. Today, three of these sites opened in Phoenix and one opened in Tucson. More are expected to open in the coming weeks.

The location of the testing site is not being advertised because it's currently available on an appointment-only basis. Banner wants to screen people through their hotline before having them show up for testing. If someone comes to the site and requests a test without being screened first, they will be turned away.

Many people in Tucson have found themselves either working from home, attending classes from home or staying home with their children during the COVID-19 emergency. The Pima Animal Care Center hopes some will use this as an opportunity to foster a pet from their shelter, which has seen a rapid increase in animals as adoptions slow down but strays keep coming in.

PACC took in 1,600 pets in April 2019. If that number were to happen again this year, they will definitely run out of space in their facility located at 4000 N. Silverbell Road.

Fostering an animal would not only allow room for other animals to be saved and sheltered within the care center, but would allow an animal who already experienced the stressful environment of the pound to get some peace and quiet.

PACC said people can visit their foster webpage to learn how to sign up to be an on-deck foster. The shelter will review participants' information and call once they find a pet that would be a good match for them. Once a match has been determined, PACC will arrange a curbside pick-up of the foster pet.

Local child care is on shaky ground as more Tucson families are staying home to fight the spread of coronavirus after Gov. Doug Ducey extended school closures would continue through at least April 10.

Last Monday, The City of Tucson also shut down their youth programs, KIDCO and SchoolzOut Camp, due to issues such as a lack of sanitation products at their sites. The programs will be shut down through at least April 10. The city plans to reevaluate opening the youth programs once schools reopen, according to Andy Squire, public information officer for the City of Tucson.

“From everything we are seeing, I would say it would be likely (youth program closures) would continue beyond that,” Squire said. “Child care is available in our community for folks both at the YMCA’s and the Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs.”

But slots could be hard to come by for many Tucsonans. Both The YMCA of Southern Arizona and the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson are prioritizing childcare for the children of first responders, health care workers and employees at grocery stores. The BGCT is “strictly providing emergency childcare to 60 children, ages 5-12, of essential and critical service community workers” at their Grant Road location, according to a press release.

BGCT is also working with TUSD Meal Services to supply breakfast and lunch to enrolled children. The YMCA is partnering with local private school lunch provider, Nutrition One, to offer breakfast, lunch and snack options for their enrollees.

The YMCA of Southern Arizona is also giving essential workers special preference for child care. Child care spots at the YMCA aren’t just for medical workers, but grocery store workers too, said Candis Martin for YMCA Southern Arizona.

The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has put a growing number of people out of work and Gov. Doug Ducey has extended school closures through at least April 10.
While these measures may slow the community spread of the virus, many families rely on school to provide free or economical breakfast and lunch for their children.

Local school districts in Pima County have stepped up to provide alternative options for those families.

Tucson Unified School District this week launched a grab-and-go meal program, with school buses driving 12 routes throughout the district and stopping at 113 locations identified for optimal proximity to students’ homes. The buses will stop between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for 10 minutes at each location, where kids can come and get one free lunch and free breakfast for the next day.

These meals are offered to all children 18 years old and younger, but they don’t necessarily have to be a TUSD student. According to Federal Meal Program requirements, children must be present at the bus stop to receive meals. Meals cannot be distributed for additional children who are not present. A full list of bus stops and scheduled times is available at tusd1.org/GrabAndGo.

The Marana Unified School District has ramped up similar efforts with its Marana Cares Mobile program. Since 2015, the district has provided free breakfast and lunch to children in need during summer, fall, winter and spring break. The program will now continue throughout the school closure and will be supported by additional food services provided at several elementary schools.

“Marana Cares Mobile does not go to homes, it sets up at two locations that we’ve identified through community input are some of our highest-need areas,” said Tamara Crawley, the district’s public relations director.

Seema Verma is the Administrator, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She has written this Guest Opinion piece to spread awareness for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.

Since older Americans are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus (COVID-19), I wanted to let you know the steps we’re taking to help our Medicare beneficiaries cope with the pandemic.

We’re warning Medicare beneficiaries that scammers may try to use this emergency to steal their Medicare number, banking information, or other personal data.

Unfortunately, scammers come out of the woodwork during times of uncertainty and change. So make sure you give your Medicare number only to your doctor, pharmacist, hospital, health insurer, or other trusted healthcare provider.

If someone calls you on the phone, says they’re from Medicare, and asks for your Medicare number or other personal information – just hang up.

Remember: Medicare never calls its beneficiaries to ask for or to “verify” Medicare numbers.

My agency finished removing Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards last year in order to reduce fraud and protect Medicare beneficiaries from identity theft. Even with this change, you should guard your Medicare card. Treat it like a credit card. Be sure to check your Medicare claim summaries for errors and questionable bills.

If you suspect Medicare fraud, please report it by calling Medicare’s toll-free customer service center at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or by visiting www.medicare.gov/fraud.

I also want to inform you what Medicare covers with regard to coronavirus.

If your doctor orders a COVID-19 test for you, Medicare covers all of the costs. You should not have any cost-sharing.

Medicare also covers all medically necessary hospitalizations. This includes extra days in the hospital for in-patients who were on the verge of being discharged, but were diagnosed with COVID-19 and had to stay longer under quarantine.

There's no vaccine for COVID-19 at this time. However, if one becomes available, Medicare will cover it.

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you have the same benefits as people with Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are now required to have the same cost-sharing for COVID-19 lab tests as Original Medicare: zero.

Medicare also recently expanded its coverage of telehealth services to enable beneficiaries across the country to receive a wider range of healthcare services from doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility.

These changes allow beneficiaries to communicate with their doctors without having to physically go to a healthcare facility, thus cutting their risk of acquiring or spreading the virus. And frontline clinicians will be better able to stay safe themselves while treating people with Medicare.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers can deliver telehealth services via phone and video chat. Medicare beneficiaries can receive telehealth services in their home as well as in any healthcare facility, including a physician’s office, hospital, nursing home, or rural health clinic.

Telehealth services include routine office visits, mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings for cancer and other illnesses.

By helping healthcare institutions across the nation offer services remotely, telehealth can free up hospital emergency departments and doctors’ offices to deal with the most urgent COVID-19 cases. For example, you can talk with a doctor about your diabetes management or prescription refill without having to go to his or her office.

During this emergency, Medicare will pay for telehealth services at the same rates as in-person services, giving doctors and other clinicians an incentive to use this alternative and reserve their offices to treat those who truly require in-person care.

We know many Medicare beneficiaries are concerned about the spread of coronavirus and the threat it poses to their well-being. That’s why we’ve taken these rapid steps to ensure that the Medicare program continues to protect our beneficiaries while maintaining trusted access to care in these uncertain times.

Need someone to talk to during these times? The @HOPEincTucson Warm Line is a confidential, non-emergency phone line for residents who need someone to talk to.
Pima County residents can call: (520) 770-9909
All other Southern Arizona residents can call: (844) 733-9912 pic.twitter.com/TkuXdbYS9c

— City of Tucson (@cityoftucson) March 23, 2020

These are strange times we're living in. With "social distancing" now firmly in our vocabulary, and headlines that make the most anxious of us even more so, it can feel very lonely and isolating not just physically, but mentally as well.

If you need someone to talk to, but maybe you don't feel comfortable speaking with someone you know, there are multiple options out there for you.

Earlier today the City of Tucson tweeted out a number for the Warm Line. This is a great resource if you're struggling, but not in crisis.

Additionally, if you're a veteran, you can call the Veterans Crisis Line or chat with someone on their website.
They're a great resource for any veteran who is currently struggling mentally and can help alleviate anxiety or PTSD.

The Suicide Prevention Hotline also stresses emotional well-being during the outbreak and has some coping tips on its website as well. If you need more than just some tips and resources and need to talk to someone right away, please call the lifeline below.

Maybe you don't need to call one of these, but know someone who might. Please share with them to get them the help they need. Check on your family, friends and neighbors. They may be struggling and could use your help, even if it's just a friendly, "Hello!"

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona jumped from 152 to 235 today, with seven new cases in Pima County bringing the total here to 24.

In Maricopa County, the numbers jumped from 88 to 139.

Two people in Arizona have died after being being infected by COVID-19, a highly infectious virus that is sweeping cities in the United States and across the globe. The first was a man in his 50s and the second was a man in his 70s, according to state officials. Both had underlying health conditions.

The rise in cases corresponds with increased testing for COVID-19 but health officials warn that far more people have likely been exposed to the virus. Symptoms can take up to 14 days to appear, so people can pass the virus without realizing they have been infected with it. Some people remain entirely asymptotic but are carriers.

Restaurants have been limited to take-out and delivery services in counties where cases of the virus have been confirmed. Here's a partial list of Tucson-area restaurants offering take-out and delivery services.

Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered schools closed through April 10. He has also ordered bars, gyms and theaters to be closed in any county with confirmed COVID-19 cases, halted all elective surgery to keep hospital beds available for COVID-19 patients and activated the National Guard to assist in grocery stores as Arizonans clear the shelves.

As hospitals brace for an upcoming flood of COVID-19 patients, Ducey announced this weekend that the state had tapped 25 percent of its reserve supply from the Strategic National Stockpile, a national stockpile of medical equipment managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Ducey said he had asked for additional equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile.

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