Friday, May 14, 2021
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to 4-1 to repeal the mask mandate and continue recommending masks at the emergency meeting Friday afternoon.
In order to stay in line with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance on Thursday, announcing fully-vaccinated individuals can go unmasked in indoor and outdoor settings in most cases, the board passed Resolution_2021-35. The resolution repeals Resolution 2020-96, the mask requirement, while continuing to recommend mask use for unvaccinated individuals and in some cases those vaccinated.
The county’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia acknowledged the contradictions between the board’s resolution and the CDC’s recommendation, as the resolution required face masks without differentiating between fully vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry suggested three directions the board could take.
The first suggested the board could amend its current resolution to apply only to unvaccinated individuals and exempt fully vaccinated persons.
“This action, although symbolically meaningful, would be unenforceable,” wrote Huckelberry in his May 14 COVID-19 update.
The second option, which Huckelberry, along with Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen and Garcia recommended the board select, opted for considering a new resolution to repeal the previous mask mandate and provide new recommendations.
The last option suggested the Board could simply repeal the resolution, which Supervisor Steve Christy made an unsuccessful motion to pass.
Ultimately the board chose the second option, aligning with the CDC in recommending continued use of masks and other mitigation strategies like social distancing for the unvaccinated people, while also recommending masks for all, vaccinated or not, on public transportation and in 'health care settings, schools, correctional facilities, shelters, congregate facilities and any other setting where it is required by local, state or federal law.” These recommendations are also in line with CDC’s updated guidance.
The resolution also requests establishments provide masks for employees who are not fully vaccinated and encourage the use of masks, but makes clear the resolution does not prevent establishments from setting their own standards on masks and social distancing, or refusing service for noncompliance.
After the resolution, Christy motioned to “rescind, remove and terminate” board Resolution 2020-18, which declared Pima County in a state of emergency related to the COVID 19 outbreak. The motion died for lack of a second.
A new poll shows bipartisan support for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure and care plan in key states, according to Data for Progress.
From the end of April to early May, Data for Progress, a think tank and political advocacy group, surveyed an average of 642 likely voters in each of 10 key states - Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The survey measured the support for Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, including the American Rescue Plan, American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan.
The majority of likely voters in all 10 states supported the American Rescue Plan. In Arizona, 72% supported the plan, with most giving credit to the Democratic Party for passing provisions including vaccine distribution, stimulus checks and expanded child tax credit.
The poll also showed net positive support for The American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan in all 10 states, even when voters were told the plans would be paid for raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy.
“The idea that paying for these plans is unpopular is patently incorrect. In fact, those provisions actually make people more supportive of the idea,” said Sean McElwee, executive director for Data for Progress.
In Arizona, 68% of support the American Jobs Plan and a little more than half of those who self-identified as Republicans support the plan. About 80% of likely voters in Arizona supported the proposed investments in physical infrastructure, lead pipe removal and long-term care.
Fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities without wearing a mask and physical distancing in indoor or outdoor settings, in most cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated public health guidance released Thursday.
“Today brings more encouraging news for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — and another reason for everyone else to get their shot,” wrote Arizona Department of Health Services Dr. Cara Christ on Thursday's blog post. “This is a very big step toward returning to our pre-pandemic way of life.”
But the Pima County’s mask mandate remains in effect, which does not differentiate between fully and non-vaccinated individuals.
The Board of Supervisors is seeking legal guidance from the County Attorney’s Office and should be reviewing the recommendation with the Health Department to advise the board of supervisors, according to Chair Sharon Bronson.
The Board of Supervisors will meet today at 3 p.m. to discuss the updated CDC guidance.
Supervisor Adelita Grijalva said she was still reviewing the new guidelines. She said she was unsure whether changes would be made without more people getting vaccinated, with a goal to reach 75% of the population to achieve herd immunity.
In Arizona, 3,098,785 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, with 43.1% of Arizonans fully vaccinated. Christ notes in her blog that the CDC’s announcement comes the same day as children across the nation ages 12 to 15 may receive the Pfizer vaccine, which could potentially add more fully vaccinated individuals.
According to CDC’s updated guidance, fully vaccinated individuals can go unmasked in an indoor high-intensity exercise class, a full-capacity worship service or a crowded, outdoor event, such as a concert or sporting event. However, they are still subject to federal, state or local jurisdictions laws and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
Arizona will no longer provide the weekly $300 federal supplement for unemployed workers during the pandemic, Gov. Doug Ducey said on Thursday.
With his “Arizona Back-to-Work” Plan, thousands of Arizonans on unemployment will return to receiving the maximum $240 on July 10.
Several other states announced they also would stop taking the federal pandemic unemployment benefits, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, extended in March through the American Rescue Plan, provided an additional weekly $300 to cover freelancers, part-timers and anyone who did not qualify for regular unemployment and extended the benefit for an additional 24 weeks. The program is set to end on Sept. 4.
Instead, Ducey will use $300 million in federal money to encourage Arizonans to rejoin the workforce. The plan is a one-time $2,000 bonus for full-time workers and a $1,000 bonus for those who return part-time.
People will receive the bonus after they stop filing for unemployment benefits and complete 10 weeks of work with an employer. The bonuses are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To qualify, an individual must have already filed for unemployment benefits, meaning anyone who files after May 13 will not be eligible. Individuals must also make $25 per hour or less - about $52,000 a year - at their new job and must begin working by Sept. 6.
The Casino Del Sol Charity Golf Tournament is back for its sixth year to raise money for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Charitable Organization.
The event will be held Oct. 27-28, 2021, at Sewailo Golf Club.
Casino Del Sol has hosted the Charity Golf Tournament since 2015, with the exception of 2020 when the event was canceled due to the pandemic. This year’s tournament will have comprehensive safety measures in place to protect the health and well-being of all employees and golfers.
For more information or if you are interested in participating in the tournament, visit www.casinodelsol.com.
In Arizona, more than 973,000 people experience food insecurity, including one in five children. The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona provides food to people in need as well as advocacy and nutrition education throughout southern Arizona. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe Charitable Organization has partnered with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona to establish a food pantry on the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s reservation.
“The level of food insecurity in Arizona and throughout the country has spiked dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic. We want to help those who are struggling in our community, and the proceeds from this golf tournament will do just that,” said CEO of Casino Del Sol, Kimberly Van Amburg. “We are honored to resume this annual tradition and support these remarkable organizations that are stepping up to combat hunger in Tucson.”
“This past year has brought us so many challenges,” said Michael McDonald, CEO of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. “We distributed more food than ever before, and as we work to make our way out of this crisis we know there is still a high number of children, families and seniors who need food. We’re grateful for this support from the Casino Del Sol Charity Golf Tournament to help us meet that need.”
Pima County and Tucson Medical Center are offering 800 free swim lessons to children at three Pima County pools.
The free lessons will be available at:
- Kino Pool, 2805 E. Ajo Way
- Los Niños Pool, 5432 S. Bryant Ave.
- Flowing Wells Pool, 4545 N. La Cholla Blvd.
The lessons are part of an overall water safety effort to teach children proper swimming techniques and how to be safe in and around water.
Register at pima.gov/swimlessons or (520) 724-5171.
“Drowning is 100 percent preventable. Offering free swimming lessons to the community is critically important to reducing the risk of a future drowning,” said Grant Bourguet, program manager at Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation.
WASHINGTON – Gilbert resident Jose Patiño remembers the moment he knew he wanted to work in Congress: It was 2018 and he had just spent months in Washington lobbying to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
“That’s where I saw how impactful it was to have people there,” Patiño said. “While I was not directly being employed, but just having those conversations, building those relationships.”
But he also knew that it was a dream that, for him, is “just not possible.”
That’s because Patiño, the director of education and external affairs for the immigration advocacy group Aliento, is an undocumented resident of the U.S. As such, he is prohibited under a little-known law – specifically section 704 of Title VII of Division E of the federal budget – from holding a federal job, which includes paid internships and jobs on Capitol Hill.
That doesn’t make sense to Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Tucson, who has tried for years to change the law.
“These students are wonderful people, they are bright, they are intelligent, they want to make a contribution to the American dream and they deserve that right,” she said.
Kirkpatrick is the lead sponsor of the American Dream Employment Act, which says simply that Dreamers like Patiño should be treated the same as U.S. citizens when it comes to a job in Congress. The bill would apply to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients as well as people here on Temporary Protected Status and those with Deferred Enforced Departure orders. A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate.
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities without wearing a mask and physical distancing in indoor or outdoor settings, in most cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated public health guidance released Thursday.
“Today brings more encouraging news for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — and another reason for everyone else to get their shot,” wrote Arizona Department of Health Services Dr. Cara Christ on Thursday's blog post. “This is a very big step toward returning to our pre-pandemic way of life.”
But the Pima County’s mask mandate remains in effect, which does not differentiate between fully and non-vaccinated individuals.
The Board of Supervisors is seeking legal guidance from County Attorney’s Office and should be reviewing the recommendation with the Health Department to advise the board of supervisors, according to Chair Sharon Bronson.
The Board of Supervisors will meet Friday at 3 p.m. to discuss the updated CDC guidance.
Supervisor Adelita Grijalva said she was still reviewing the new guidelines. She said she was unsure whether changes would be made without more people getting vaccinated, with a goal to reach 75% of the population to achieve herd immunity.
In Arizona 5,431,712 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, with 35.4% of Arizonans fully vaccinated. Christ notes in her blog that the CDC’s announcement comes the same day as children across the nation ages 12 to 15 may receive the Pfizer vaccine, which could potentially add more fully vaccinated individuals.
According to CDC’s updated guidance, fully vaccinated individuals can go unmasked in an indoor high-intensity exercise class, a full-capacity worship service or a crowded, outdoor event, such as a concert or sporting event. However, they are still subject to federal, state or local jurisdictions laws and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
Also, fully vaccinated individuals traveling in the U.S., no longer need to get tested before or after travel, or self-quarantine after travel. Those boarding an international flight to the U.S., however, must show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery before boarding. Self-quarantine is no longer required after arriving in the U.S. Individuals are still required to wear a mask on public transportation traveling into, within or out of the U.S. in places like planes, buses and trains, as well as airports and stations.
Additionally, the CDC advises individuals to watch for COVID-19 symptoms, especially if around someone who is sick. If displaying symptoms, people should get tested and stay home and away from others.
The CDC also notes that even fully vaccinated individuals who have a condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may need to continue taking all precautions to prevent contracting COVID-19 and advises they speak with their healthcare provider to discuss their activities.
