Wednesday, April 22, 2020
PHOENIX – COVID-19 has swept through an assisted living facility in Chandler, where 13 residents have died due to complications from the disease and 28 others have tested positive, a spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday evening.
“Our condolences and hearts go to the families of these residents. We are grieving each one as we have cared for them,” Amira Fahoum of the facility’s parent company, Compass Living, told azcentral.com.
The 13 deaths account for 13% of all COVID-19 related deaths in Maricopa County and 6% of Arizona’s total, as of Tuesday, the newspaper noted.
State health officials Wednesday reported 21 new deaths from COVID-19, matching Tuesday’s record one-day total.
“Our condolences and hearts go to the families of these residents. We are grieving each one as we have cared for them,” Amira Fahoum of the facility’s parent company, Compass Living, told azcentral.com.
The 13 deaths account for 13% of all COVID-19 related deaths in Maricopa County and 6% of Arizona’s total, as of Tuesday, the newspaper noted.
State health officials Wednesday reported 21 new deaths from COVID-19, matching Tuesday’s record one-day total.
Hospitals and outpatient surgical centers in Arizona may resume elective surgeries for patients if they can prove they are prepared for any potential influx of COVID-19 cases beginning May 1, according to Gov. Doug Ducey.
The governor suspended elective surgeries March 19.
Ducey considers the healthcare change his first step in “increasing the energy” of the state’s economy, though it comes with some criteria from the Arizona Department of Health Services:
“Hospitals around the state have stepped up to provide additional protections for their staff and patients and increased bed capacity to prepare for a possible COVID-19 surge,” Ducey said in a statement. “Because of these preparations, and the responsible actions of Arizonans across our state, data shows our health system continues to remain ahead of the curve. Today’s order continues to prioritize public health while improving access to care for Arizonans and the overall viability of our health care system.”
The governor suspended elective surgeries March 19.
Ducey considers the healthcare change his first step in “increasing the energy” of the state’s economy, though it comes with some criteria from the Arizona Department of Health Services:
- Demonstrating greater than a 14 day supply of PPE;
- Ensuring adequate staffing and beds;
- Testing patients prior to surgery and all at-risk health care workers;
- Ensuring appropriate discharge plans for patients being transferred to nursing care facilities, including diagnostic testing for COVID-19;
- Implementing a universal symptom screening process for staff, patients, and visitors;
- Establishing an enhanced cleaning process for waiting areas;
- And prioritizing the restart of elective surgeries based on urgency.
“Hospitals around the state have stepped up to provide additional protections for their staff and patients and increased bed capacity to prepare for a possible COVID-19 surge,” Ducey said in a statement. “Because of these preparations, and the responsible actions of Arizonans across our state, data shows our health system continues to remain ahead of the curve. Today’s order continues to prioritize public health while improving access to care for Arizonans and the overall viability of our health care system.”
Tags: hospitals , health , surgery , covid19 , ducey , order , Image
As part of their online library during quarantine downtime, Arizona Theatre Company will be hosting the first in a series of weekly Facebook Live broadcasts at 4 p.m. Friday, April 24.
Hosted by ATC artistic director Sean Daniels, the broadcast will feature guests from multiple artistic mediums: Lucky Yates, who is a voice actor on the TV series Archer, and a regular on the Food Network’s Good Eats ; actress Veronika Duerr, who made her ATC debut in the 2019/2020 production of Silent Sky ; ATC Costume Shop Manager Mary Woll ; and special musical guest, Brian Lowdermilk.
“We really wanted to start a weekly way to talk with our audience - to let them know how we’re doing, what we’re up to, to give them inside info on what’s in the works - and to hear from them,” Daniels said. “Running a theatre is really a two-way conversation, so we wanted to create more ways for them to talk to us."
ATC is also staying busy both by planning out a post-pandemic return and transitioning its programs online.
ATC is presenting digital classes, videos and podcasts. The company’s education program, ATCteen – for students 13 to 19 years old – is now online, featuring weekly classes on playwriting, acting, dancing and set design; a “Playreader’s Club” for students to read and discuss scripts; an improv troupe; private coaching classes in multiple disciplines; and radio drama projects.
ATC’s online content is divided into four rooms: The Blackbox Room for play readings and online workshops, The Green Room for conversations with national and local artists, The Rehearsal Hall for deeper conversations about plays and topics affecting the theatre community, and The Classroom for educational and creative content for all ages. Each “room” will be available on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and ATC’s own podcast and radio station.
Visit arizonatheatre.org for more information.
Photo courtesy of Mireya Treviño
Mireya Treviño and Joe Rodriguez officially became a couple in December, before she learned she’d been exposed to the novel coronavirus.
Even those already in long-distance relationships and accustomed to communicating virtually are finding the forced quarantines and physical separation challenging.
Mireya Treviño, a senior at the University of Texas in Austin, met her boyfriend when he visited from San Antonio for a Halloween party. Despite the distance – the cities are a 90-minute drive apart – the two started talking and officially began a relationship in December.
Treviño, who is studying public health, wasn’t too worried about COVID-19 at first. Then she learned she’d been exposed, leaving her boyfriend to console her from afar.
PHOENIX – Immigration experts and advocates aren’t sure how to assess President Donald Trump’s Monday evening tweet announcing his intention to temporarily suspend immigration, but they reject the idea that immigrants will compete with thousands of Americans thrown out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they suggest his administration concentrate on making more testing available across the country.
“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” the president’s tweet said.
Since the tweet, however, the White House has released few additional details regarding the order, leading to speculation about possible other motives.
President Trump’s announcement seems to mirror widespread fears about what the job market will look like when the stay-at-home orders in most states begin to lift. The U.S. Department of Labor has calculated that at least 22 million people have lost their jobs within the past month.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “As President Trump has said, ‘Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers.’ At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, action is necessary.”
“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” the president’s tweet said.
Since the tweet, however, the White House has released few additional details regarding the order, leading to speculation about possible other motives.
President Trump’s announcement seems to mirror widespread fears about what the job market will look like when the stay-at-home orders in most states begin to lift. The U.S. Department of Labor has calculated that at least 22 million people have lost their jobs within the past month.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “As President Trump has said, ‘Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers.’ At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, action is necessary.”
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
The Weekly's favorite space probe, the University of Arizona's OSIRIS-REx, is getting ever-closer to a key moment in its mission of gathering cosmic dust and pebbles from the surface of the asteroid Bennu.
On Tuesday, April 14, the NASA spacecraft captured the closest-ever images of the asteroid Bennu during a sample collection rehearsal. The images, taken only 200 feet from the asteroid's surface, show the rocky terrain that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft plans to capture a sample of on Aug. 25.
According to UA, the images were recorded over a 10-minute span during sample collection rehearsal. The images show the spacecraft’s sampling arm—called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism—and Bennu's "Nightingale" sample site.
The UA/NASA mission launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and is expected to return to Earth with a sample of the asteroid's surface on Sept. 24, 2023. While OSIRIS-REx is anticipated to be the first U.S. space mission to return samples from an asteroid, the spacecraft will not land on Bennu's surface. Instead, it will use the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism to shoot a jet of nitrogen, dislodging particles from the asteroid. The spacecraft is expected to be able to capture upwards of 60 grams worth of carbonaceous dust and rock ejected from Bennu's surface.
On Tuesday, April 14, the NASA spacecraft captured the closest-ever images of the asteroid Bennu during a sample collection rehearsal. The images, taken only 200 feet from the asteroid's surface, show the rocky terrain that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft plans to capture a sample of on Aug. 25.
According to UA, the images were recorded over a 10-minute span during sample collection rehearsal. The images show the spacecraft’s sampling arm—called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism—and Bennu's "Nightingale" sample site.
"The goal of this checkpoint rehearsal is to make sure we get through the first two maneuvers needed to accomplish the sampling, and then safely back away," said Dani DellaGiustina, lead image processing scientist for the OSIRIS-REx mission in a press release. "What we're seeing here is the spacecraft as it approaches Bennu's surface, and once the spacecraft executes its checkpoint maneuver to initiate its descent, it pulls away."
The UA/NASA mission launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and is expected to return to Earth with a sample of the asteroid's surface on Sept. 24, 2023. While OSIRIS-REx is anticipated to be the first U.S. space mission to return samples from an asteroid, the spacecraft will not land on Bennu's surface. Instead, it will use the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism to shoot a jet of nitrogen, dislodging particles from the asteroid. The spacecraft is expected to be able to capture upwards of 60 grams worth of carbonaceous dust and rock ejected from Bennu's surface.
"We've been planning this event for so long that all of us had a very concrete idea in our minds (of the checkpoint rehearsal), so you could say the only surprise was the fact that we saw exactly what we expected," DellaGiustina said. "I think that's a testament to our navigation team doing an extraordinary job."
Tags: science , nasa , asteroid , osiris , rex , ua , uarizona , Image
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Private equity-backed medical staffing companies that have cut doctors’ pay are continuing to spend millions on political ads, according to Federal Communications Commission disclosures.
The ads amount to $2.2 million since Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency on Jan. 31. About $1.2 million has been spent since President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on March 13, the disclosures show.
The companies behind the ads, TeamHealth and Envision Healthcare, are among the staffing firms that have cut pay and benefits for emergency room doctors and other medical workers. The companies say the cuts are needed to cope with falling income because non-coronavirus patients are avoiding hospitals. Executives at TeamHealth and Envision also took pay cuts.
“Our attention will be focused on our clinicians so they can provide care for patients who need it,” Envision CEO Jim Rechtin said in a statement this month.
But Envision and TeamHealth have continued to pour money into a joint political ad campaign. Their TV and radio spots are aimed at pressuring lawmakers working to address “surprise billing,” where patients get stuck with huge medical costs from out-of-network providers they had no say in choosing. The ads oppose capping out-of-network costs based on median prices in the area.
Private equity-backed medical staffing companies that have cut doctors’ pay are continuing to spend millions on political ads, according to Federal Communications Commission disclosures.
The ads amount to $2.2 million since Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency on Jan. 31. About $1.2 million has been spent since President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on March 13, the disclosures show.
The companies behind the ads, TeamHealth and Envision Healthcare, are among the staffing firms that have cut pay and benefits for emergency room doctors and other medical workers. The companies say the cuts are needed to cope with falling income because non-coronavirus patients are avoiding hospitals. Executives at TeamHealth and Envision also took pay cuts.
“Our attention will be focused on our clinicians so they can provide care for patients who need it,” Envision CEO Jim Rechtin said in a statement this month.
But Envision and TeamHealth have continued to pour money into a joint political ad campaign. Their TV and radio spots are aimed at pressuring lawmakers working to address “surprise billing,” where patients get stuck with huge medical costs from out-of-network providers they had no say in choosing. The ads oppose capping out-of-network costs based on median prices in the area.
PHOENIX – The cancellation of the 2020 Native American Basketball Invitational means more to that community than simply taking a summer off from playing ball. Its loss could have a major impact on the lives of many young native people.
A major purpose of the event is to help players attend college, whether as a student-athlete or as a student.
“We created scholarship opportunities,” event co-founder and former Phoenix Suns center Mark West said. “We had a college and career fair to help them talk to people who can help them get to college or a trade school where they can learn a craft.”
The NABI, set for June 21-27 in Phoenix, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GinaMarie Scarpa, President and CEO of the NABI Foundation, announced in a press release recently. The annual event began in 2003 as the first national Native American basketball tournament, and it is still the largest.
West said that the first event had 32 teams, but increased to 128 last year. Participating teams came from all over the United States, Canada and even New Zealand, but that became problematic in the midst of a global pandemic, leading to the “unfortunate decision, but correct decision,” West said.
A major purpose of the event is to help players attend college, whether as a student-athlete or as a student.
“We created scholarship opportunities,” event co-founder and former Phoenix Suns center Mark West said. “We had a college and career fair to help them talk to people who can help them get to college or a trade school where they can learn a craft.”
The NABI, set for June 21-27 in Phoenix, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GinaMarie Scarpa, President and CEO of the NABI Foundation, announced in a press release recently. The annual event began in 2003 as the first national Native American basketball tournament, and it is still the largest.
West said that the first event had 32 teams, but increased to 128 last year. Participating teams came from all over the United States, Canada and even New Zealand, but that became problematic in the midst of a global pandemic, leading to the “unfortunate decision, but correct decision,” West said.
Shocking videos of dairy farmers dumping thousands of gallons of milk have been circulating on the internet, as the coronavirus outbreak has forced dairy farmers across the country to dump their excess milk supply to offset their losses and keep prices stable.
Arizona dairy farmers have taken part in this dumping process to help stay afloat. With demand for milk down from stay at home orders shutting down schools and restaurants, farmers are trying to reduce surpluses they can’t afford to produce and hold onto, while also maintaining prices for consumers. Cooperatives, including the United Dairymen of Arizona, have been working to help their farmers survive.
“We have about 12 million pounds of milk a day and we’re dumping about a million a day,” said Keith Murfield, CEO of the United Dairymen of Arizona.
The co-op is losing about $160,000 a day by dumping milk from approximately 70 member farms, Murfield said. The milk, however, is not being entirely wasted in the dumping process and is being run through digesters that convert it into such products as gas and electricity in some places. Other excess milk is fed to the cows and young livestock.
“You just can’t dump it on the ground, you got to be careful where you put it,” Murfield said.
Arizona dairy farmers have taken part in this dumping process to help stay afloat. With demand for milk down from stay at home orders shutting down schools and restaurants, farmers are trying to reduce surpluses they can’t afford to produce and hold onto, while also maintaining prices for consumers. Cooperatives, including the United Dairymen of Arizona, have been working to help their farmers survive.
“We have about 12 million pounds of milk a day and we’re dumping about a million a day,” said Keith Murfield, CEO of the United Dairymen of Arizona.
The co-op is losing about $160,000 a day by dumping milk from approximately 70 member farms, Murfield said. The milk, however, is not being entirely wasted in the dumping process and is being run through digesters that convert it into such products as gas and electricity in some places. Other excess milk is fed to the cows and young livestock.
“You just can’t dump it on the ground, you got to be careful where you put it,” Murfield said.
PHOENIX – Arizona researchers have come together to gain insight into COVID-19, which has killed tens of thousands around the globe. The Translational Genomics Research Institute on April 8 announced the formation of the Arizona COVID-19 Genomics Union, dedicated to understanding the evolution and spread of the novel coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease. They hope that through their work, Arizona will be a key player in slowing the pandemic.
Union co-founders David Engelthaler, Paul Keim, and Michael Worobey are sequencing samples of coronavirus from COVID-19 patients to examine where each strain originated from, and how it transmits from person to person.
They like to call this the 21st-century advance in traditional epidemiology, which enables them to “empirically understand relationships between pathogens that, before, we were just using the best information to really guess at,” said Engelthaler, the co-director of TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division in Flagstaff which includes Northern Arizona University. He’s also Arizona’s former state epidemiologist and state biodefense coordinator.
Worobey, who leads the University of Arizona’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology, said the initial work has gone well.
Union co-founders David Engelthaler, Paul Keim, and Michael Worobey are sequencing samples of coronavirus from COVID-19 patients to examine where each strain originated from, and how it transmits from person to person.
They like to call this the 21st-century advance in traditional epidemiology, which enables them to “empirically understand relationships between pathogens that, before, we were just using the best information to really guess at,” said Engelthaler, the co-director of TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division in Flagstaff which includes Northern Arizona University. He’s also Arizona’s former state epidemiologist and state biodefense coordinator.
Worobey, who leads the University of Arizona’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology, said the initial work has gone well.
