Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Here we are at the end of June. Half a year has gone by since 2020 began, and we can't tell if it's felt like the longest or shortest year in history. There have been so many groundbreaking historic moments, but here are just a few that we covered today.
Don't forget to vote in the Best of Tucson® 2020!
Don't forget to vote in the Best of Tucson® 2020!
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona crossed the 79,000 threshold as of Monday, June 29, after the state reported a record 4,682 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- Just days after President Donald Trump was in Yuma to praise construction of the border wall last week, a federal court reaffirmed its ruling that the administration’s method of funding that construction was “unlawful.”
- Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced a new funding plan last week intended to help public school districts across the state safely open at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.
- The University of Arizona announced Tuesday they will pause bringing additional student-athletes back to campus after the recent spike in COVID-19 cases through the Pima County and the state.
- The Arizona Interscholastic Association announced all school-related athletics and activities will be delayed until Aug. 17, in response to Governor Doug Ducey’s executive order Monday pushing back the start date of all state schools.
"Our mission has always been, first and foremost, the safety of our student-athletes, staff and community," Dr. Stephen Paul of C.AT.S. Medical Services said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we have made this decision with campus and community partners to pause our re-entry process," Vice President and Director of UA Athletics Dave Heeke. "The health, safety, and wellbeing of all members of our community is our number one priority. We will continue to work in conjunction with campus partners and our local government agencies to support and evaluate a safe and healthy return to campus."
UA Athletics Department reported one student-athlete tested positive for COVD-19 out of 83 others who recently returned to campus for voluntary physical activities. UA Officials confirm the student-athlete is following department guidelines for students who are confirmed to have coronavirus.
The university has not announced if this will delay the 2020-2021 football season. At this time, the fall semester is still expected to resume on Aug. 24.
UA Athletics Department reported one student-athlete tested positive for COVD-19 out of 83 others who recently returned to campus for voluntary physical activities. UA Officials confirm the student-athlete is following department guidelines for students who are confirmed to have coronavirus.
"Health and safety continue to be the guiding force in our re-entry process. We will continue to monitor the status and impact of COVID-19 in our community and our ongoing and safe training of student-athletes already on campus," Dr. Stephen Paul of C.A.T.S. Medical Services. 'Arizona Athletics will assess when to resume its re-entry process in collaboration with the guidelines and protocols of the University of Arizona, Pac-12 Conference, NCAA, and state and local government agencies."
The university has not announced if this will delay the 2020-2021 football season. At this time, the fall semester is still expected to resume on Aug. 24.
Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced a new funding plan last week intended to help public school districts across the state safely open at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.
The plan includes $200 million to help districts bolster their remote learning capacity, and protect against any budget shortfalls next year. As COVID-19 cases surge across the state, the possibility for schools to return to normal operations in the fall is slim to none.
“Our schools need as much stability and certainty as possible during these most uncertain of times,” Hoffman said in a press release. “This plan will help schools provide adaptable and flexible learning environments for students, families, and teachers and help operationalize the guidance provided in our Roadmap to Reopening schools. While many unknowns remain, our school communities are resilient, and I know they will rise to meet this moment for public education.”
Tags: Governor Doug Ducey , Superintendent Kathy Hoffman , Reopening , Funding , Schools , COVID19 , Distance Learning , Remote Learning , Digital Learning , Image
PHOENIX – Just days after President Donald Trump was in Yuma to praise construction of the border wall last week, a federal court reaffirmed its ruling that the administration’s method of funding that construction was “unlawful.”
The ruling Friday by a divided panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the administration’s plan to divert $2.5 billion in Defense Department funds toward construction of the border wall – funding Congress had specifically rejected – was unconstitutional.
But in a dissent, Judge Daniel P. Collins said the transfers were lawful, repeating his earlier stance in this case, which has already been to the Supreme Court once and sent back to the 9th Circuit for review.
Calls seeking comment from the departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security were not immediately returned. But border wall opponents hailed the decision as a “critical step in upholding the checks and balances that are integral to our democracy.”
“We welcome the … court’s decision to permanently stop Trump from building his dangerous and deadly wall,” said Vicki Gaubeca, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, in a statement Monday.
The ruling Friday by a divided panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that the administration’s plan to divert $2.5 billion in Defense Department funds toward construction of the border wall – funding Congress had specifically rejected – was unconstitutional.
But in a dissent, Judge Daniel P. Collins said the transfers were lawful, repeating his earlier stance in this case, which has already been to the Supreme Court once and sent back to the 9th Circuit for review.
Calls seeking comment from the departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security were not immediately returned. But border wall opponents hailed the decision as a “critical step in upholding the checks and balances that are integral to our democracy.”
“We welcome the … court’s decision to permanently stop Trump from building his dangerous and deadly wall,” said Vicki Gaubeca, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, in a statement Monday.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona crossed the 79,000 threshold as of Tuesday, June 30, after the state reported a record 4,682 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
That high number reflects cases that would have been reported yesterday but were not because of a technical glitch.
Pima County had seen 8,004 of the state's 79,215 confirmed cases.
Cases in Arizona have nearly quadrupled since June 1, when the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,632 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 48,592.
As COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket, Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday ordered the closing of bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks and river tubing activities for at least one month.
Ducey also said Arizona would delay the start of the school year by two weeks to Aug. 17.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman did not join Ducey for the press conference, but released a separate statement.
"What Arizona's numbers will look like by Aug. 17 remains unclear," Hoffman said. "But one thing is for certain: If efforts are not taken across the entire state to curb the spread of this virus, our schools will only continue to face complications in reopening their facilities."
Ducey warned that Arizonans will see more cases of COVID-19 before the numbers begin to decrease.
“Our expectation is, our numbers will be worse,” said Ducey, who repeated his call for Arizonans to mask up when in public, stay home as much as possible, wash their hands and keep a physical distance from others.
The Department of Health will also activate its “crisis standards of care” and cancel non-emergency surgeries as more COVID patients fill hospitals, ICU beds and emergency rooms.
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, who planned to ask fellow council members to close bars and limit restaurants to take-out service at their next meeting, said Ducey's decision was overdue but the right one.
"Our health care workers are exhausted," Kozachik said. "Our health care system is under stress. Families are separated at some of the most emotional and sensitive times of their lives. While my preference would have been to see a resumption of the original Stay at Home conditions, closing bars and adding these new conditions approximate what I had intended for tomorrow's meeting. The Governor indicates he will continue to look at conditions and will remain flexible going forward. My hope is that his responsiveness is more timely than it has proven to be in the past, whether that amounts to more tightening, or loosening once again."
Banner Health Chief Clinical Officer Marjorie Bessel announced over the weekend that the hospital network, which treats about half of Arizona's hospitalized COVID patients, was reaching its limit as it activated its surge plan and balanced its load of patients among its facilities. Banner is calling in additional health care workers from around the country.
"We are absolutely experiencing a surge of COVID-19 patients that are coming in for care, and we are starting to get full," she said. "We do have plans, however, to continue to increase our capacity so that we can meet the demand of the communities and all the people that we serve in there. But we do ask everybody to follow all the things that we can do to try and reduce the curve of spread."
Elsewhere on the COVID-19 beat:
That high number reflects cases that would have been reported yesterday but were not because of a technical glitch.
Pima County had seen 8,004 of the state's 79,215 confirmed cases.
Cases in Arizona have nearly quadrupled since June 1, when the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,632 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 48,592.
As COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket, Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday ordered the closing of bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks and river tubing activities for at least one month.
Ducey also said Arizona would delay the start of the school year by two weeks to Aug. 17.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman did not join Ducey for the press conference, but released a separate statement.
"What Arizona's numbers will look like by Aug. 17 remains unclear," Hoffman said. "But one thing is for certain: If efforts are not taken across the entire state to curb the spread of this virus, our schools will only continue to face complications in reopening their facilities."
Ducey warned that Arizonans will see more cases of COVID-19 before the numbers begin to decrease.
“Our expectation is, our numbers will be worse,” said Ducey, who repeated his call for Arizonans to mask up when in public, stay home as much as possible, wash their hands and keep a physical distance from others.
The Department of Health will also activate its “crisis standards of care” and cancel non-emergency surgeries as more COVID patients fill hospitals, ICU beds and emergency rooms.
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, who planned to ask fellow council members to close bars and limit restaurants to take-out service at their next meeting, said Ducey's decision was overdue but the right one.
"Our health care workers are exhausted," Kozachik said. "Our health care system is under stress. Families are separated at some of the most emotional and sensitive times of their lives. While my preference would have been to see a resumption of the original Stay at Home conditions, closing bars and adding these new conditions approximate what I had intended for tomorrow's meeting. The Governor indicates he will continue to look at conditions and will remain flexible going forward. My hope is that his responsiveness is more timely than it has proven to be in the past, whether that amounts to more tightening, or loosening once again."
Banner Health Chief Clinical Officer Marjorie Bessel announced over the weekend that the hospital network, which treats about half of Arizona's hospitalized COVID patients, was reaching its limit as it activated its surge plan and balanced its load of patients among its facilities. Banner is calling in additional health care workers from around the country.
"We are absolutely experiencing a surge of COVID-19 patients that are coming in for care, and we are starting to get full," she said. "We do have plans, however, to continue to increase our capacity so that we can meet the demand of the communities and all the people that we serve in there. But we do ask everybody to follow all the things that we can do to try and reduce the curve of spread."
Elsewhere on the COVID-19 beat:
The Arizona Interscholastic Association announced all school-related athletics and activities will be delayed until Aug. 17, in response to Governor Doug Ducey’s executive order Monday pushing back the start date of all state schools.
As a result, high school fall sports practice will be delayed until Arizona schools reopen mid-August and the fall competition season will also be postponed. AIA officials have not yet announced when the competition season will resume.
“We couldn’t be more disappointed about the information that just came out regarding our schools,” Executive Director David Hines said. “However, we understand that the most pressing concern is to ensure our student-athletes can return to school in the safest way possible.”
The AIA is continuing to assess how to reschedule the season state-wide to help the AIA Executive Board have a better idea of when fall competition will begin. If revised timelines for the fall interfere with the winter sports season, those schedules will also be addressed at a later date, according to Hines.
As a result, high school fall sports practice will be delayed until Arizona schools reopen mid-August and the fall competition season will also be postponed. AIA officials have not yet announced when the competition season will resume.
“We couldn’t be more disappointed about the information that just came out regarding our schools,” Executive Director David Hines said. “However, we understand that the most pressing concern is to ensure our student-athletes can return to school in the safest way possible.”
The AIA is continuing to assess how to reschedule the season state-wide to help the AIA Executive Board have a better idea of when fall competition will begin. If revised timelines for the fall interfere with the winter sports season, those schedules will also be addressed at a later date, according to Hines.
Monday, June 29, 2020
While the most breaking news we covered concerns Gov. Ducey's order to close some businesses and extend the start date for schools, we covered plenty of other news items as well. ICYMI, here are those stories.
Arizona Department of Health Services tweeted earlier this morning that not all new cases are reflected in the daily total and that a higher number is to be expected tomorrow because of this.
Changes in lifestyle associated with COVID-19 have heightened concerns among health professionals about anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, and other eating disorders.
It will be another hot, windy day on the flanks of the Catalina Mountains, where the Bighorn Fire has burned 107,000 acres over the past three weeks.
Nearly three years after it won endangered species status, the Sonoyta mud turtle was granted 12.3 acres of protected habitat this week – but supporters worry that that habitat may no longer provide all the protection the turtles need.
Spike Lee follows up BlacKkKlansman, one of his best movies, with another great one, Da 5 Bloods, now out on Netflix.
Several Scottsdale bars and restaurants labeled “bad actors” by Gov. Doug Ducey have shut down temporarily, and they’re pushing back on his allegations that they disregarded safety protocols meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has warned states not to use COVID-19 testing supplies it bought under a $10.2 million contract after a ProPublica investigation last week showed the vendor was providing contaminated and unusable mini soda bottles.
Arizona elections officials disputed President Donald Trump’s latest attacks on mail-in voting, which he leveled Tuesday at a Students for Trump rally in north-central Phoenix.
Since June 1, Arizona’s poison centers have received 14 cases related to people drinking homemade liquor and hand sanitizers in hopes of getting drunk.
Even if you have never stepped foot in Arizona, you know that it's hot here. As much as we joke about our lovely oven environment, we only do so because most of us have access to either air conditioning or swamp coolers. Not everyone who lives here has that luxury.
Arizona Department of Health Services tweeted earlier this morning that not all new cases are reflected in the daily total and that a higher number is to be expected tomorrow because of this.
Changes in lifestyle associated with COVID-19 have heightened concerns among health professionals about anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, and other eating disorders.
It will be another hot, windy day on the flanks of the Catalina Mountains, where the Bighorn Fire has burned 107,000 acres over the past three weeks.
Nearly three years after it won endangered species status, the Sonoyta mud turtle was granted 12.3 acres of protected habitat this week – but supporters worry that that habitat may no longer provide all the protection the turtles need.
Spike Lee follows up BlacKkKlansman, one of his best movies, with another great one, Da 5 Bloods, now out on Netflix.
Several Scottsdale bars and restaurants labeled “bad actors” by Gov. Doug Ducey have shut down temporarily, and they’re pushing back on his allegations that they disregarded safety protocols meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has warned states not to use COVID-19 testing supplies it bought under a $10.2 million contract after a ProPublica investigation last week showed the vendor was providing contaminated and unusable mini soda bottles.
Arizona elections officials disputed President Donald Trump’s latest attacks on mail-in voting, which he leveled Tuesday at a Students for Trump rally in north-central Phoenix.
Since June 1, Arizona’s poison centers have received 14 cases related to people drinking homemade liquor and hand sanitizers in hopes of getting drunk.
Even if you have never stepped foot in Arizona, you know that it's hot here. As much as we joke about our lovely oven environment, we only do so because most of us have access to either air conditioning or swamp coolers. Not everyone who lives here has that luxury.
As COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket, Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered the closing of bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks and river tubing activities for at least one month.
Ducey also said Arizona would delay the start of the school year to Aug. 17.
Ducey warned that Arizonans will see more cases of COVID-19 before the numbers begin to decrease.
“Our expectation is, our numbers will be worse,” said Ducey, who repeated his call for Arizonans to mask up when in public, stay home as much as possible, wash their hands and keep a physical distance from others.
The Department of Health will also activate its “crisis standards of care” and cancel non-emergency surgeries.
Ducey's new moves come as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona crossed the 74,000 threshold as of Monday, June 29, after the state reported 625 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
That said, Arizona Department of Health Services tweeted earlier this morning that not all new cases are reflected in this total, and that a higher number is to be expected tomorrow because of this.
Pima County had seen 7,568 of the state's 74,533 confirmed cases.
Cases in Arizona have more than tripled since June 1, when the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,588 people have died after contracting the virus, including 268 in Pima County.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 45,178.
This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, 2,721 Arizonans were hospitalized, more than double the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1.
A total of 992 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 28. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667.
A total of 679 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday.
More details to come.
Even if you have never stepped foot in Arizona, you know that it's hot here. As much as we joke about our lovely oven environment, we only do so because most of us have access to either air conditioning or swamp coolers. Not everyone who lives here has that luxury.
The Salvation Army and City of Tucson Housing & Community Development Department have teamed up for something called 'Operation Chill Out Indoor Heat Relief Project' which will serve those unsheltered homeless individuals with no other access to cooler air.
“We are grateful to The City of Tucson for their time and generosity. This program is so valuable because it keeps our homeless citizens supplied with the necessary water and relief supplies. This project will help us immensely so we can continue our mission serving the Tucson community during this time of need,” said Captain Ellen Oh, Salvation Army Tucson City Coordination officer.
'Operation Chill Out' creates safe spaces for Tucson's unsheltered homeless in the form of heat relief stations in several locations. It's intended to reduce the risk of exposure, dehydration, heatstroke, and other health risks for people experiencing homelessness. It also provides a daily location for people experiencing homelessness to connect with resources and learn about housing options available to them.
Liz Morales, City of Tucson Housing & Community Development Director, adds, “The current health pandemic has created a shortage of available indoor locations this summer leaving our most vulnerable neighbors at risk. We cannot express how truly grateful we are to the Salvation Army for opening their doors to partner with the City on this important project.”
The community may receive available services, water, and supplies, at The Salvation Army:
• The Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N Main Ave. 520-795-9671 (bilingual), Open 12 PM to 5 PM, 7 days per week.
• The Salvation Army Amphi Corps Community Center, 218 E Prince Road, 520-888-1299, Open 12 PM to 5 PM, 7 days per week.
• The Salvation Army Tucson South Corps Community Center, 1625 S. Third Ave, 520-620-1076, Open 12 PM to 4 PM, 7 days per week.
These services are set to end August 31 and will follow all recommended CDC COVID 19 guidelines for safety. For more information on The Salvation Army, click here.
'Operation Chill Out' creates safe spaces for Tucson's unsheltered homeless in the form of heat relief stations in several locations. It's intended to reduce the risk of exposure, dehydration, heatstroke, and other health risks for people experiencing homelessness. It also provides a daily location for people experiencing homelessness to connect with resources and learn about housing options available to them.
Liz Morales, City of Tucson Housing & Community Development Director, adds, “The current health pandemic has created a shortage of available indoor locations this summer leaving our most vulnerable neighbors at risk. We cannot express how truly grateful we are to the Salvation Army for opening their doors to partner with the City on this important project.”
The community may receive available services, water, and supplies, at The Salvation Army:
• The Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N Main Ave. 520-795-9671 (bilingual), Open 12 PM to 5 PM, 7 days per week.
• The Salvation Army Amphi Corps Community Center, 218 E Prince Road, 520-888-1299, Open 12 PM to 5 PM, 7 days per week.
• The Salvation Army Tucson South Corps Community Center, 1625 S. Third Ave, 520-620-1076, Open 12 PM to 4 PM, 7 days per week.
These services are set to end August 31 and will follow all recommended CDC COVID 19 guidelines for safety. For more information on The Salvation Army, click here.
Courtesy
Since June 1, Arizona’s poison centers have received 14 cases related to people drinking homemade liquor and hand sanitizers in hopes of getting drunk. While hand sanitizer does contain the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks (ethanol) and can reach 140 proof, it can also contain the toxic alcohol methanol if improperly made. According to Banner Health, all 14 cases resulted in an adult being hospitalized in critical condition.
“Methanol can contaminate illicit alcohols, resulting in blindness and organ failure. Even small amounts can be fatal without immediate treatment,” said Dr. Daniel Brooks, medical director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center.
According to Banner, some of the callers reported they ingested homemade hand sanitizer in hopes of receiving intoxicating effects, however, this can prove fatal.
“We are working with the state and county health departments to warn Arizonans and hopefully prevent any more illnesses and deaths from this,” said Steve Dudley, managing director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center in a release.
If you or a loved one believe there has been an exposure to any poison, medication or chemical, please call the poison center immediately at (800) 222-1222.
