The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 185,000 as of Friday, Aug. 7, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 17,497 of the state’s 185,053 confirmed cases.

A total of 4,081 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 7 report.

The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 6, 1,772 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.

A total of 1,144 people visited ERs on Aug. 6 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 565 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 6. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

Pima County and City of Tucson Open New COVID Testing Center

Pima County has teamed up with the City of Tucson to open a third testing center. The new center, which opens today, is at the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. Tests are available Tuesday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The new center, which requires a nasal swab, joins a similar facility at Kino Event Center, E. Ajo Way. A third center at the northside Ellie Towne Center, opened in conjunction with ASU, involves a saliva test. The centers offer easy-to-schedule appointments—often with same-day availability—and you get results in less than 72 hours.

Schedule an appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The centers are also tied into Pima County’s developing contact tracing operation, which aims to be able to identify potential clusters and warn people if they have been in contact with someone who is COVID-positive.

If you’re interested in a test to determine if you’ve already had COVID-19, the UA has expanded a free COVID-19 antibody testing program to include 15 new categories of essential workers considered at high risk for exposure. The antibody test, developed by researchers at UA Health Sciences, determines who has been exposed to and developed an immune response against COVID-19.

In addition to healthcare workers and first responders, the test program is now open to educators, childcare workers, agriculture, grocery and foodservice workers, hospitality employees, solid-waste collection workers, transportation services workers and members of the National Guard. More information and registration for the test is available at covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu.

Pima County is also one of several regions in the country where a new COVID-19 vaccine is being tested. The National Institutes of Health is conducting phase 3 trials on a vaccine co-developed by Moderna, Inc. and the National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org or ClinicalTrials.gov and search identifier NCT04470427 to find a study center.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 183,000 as of Thursday, Aug. 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 17,293 of the state’s 183,647 confirmed cases.

A total of 4,002 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 6 report.

Arizona hospitals remain under pressure although the number of patients has declined from a peak last month. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 5, 1,879 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.

A total of 1,136 people visited ERs on Aug. 5 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 593 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 5. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

Trump praises Ducey’s response

Gov. Doug Ducey met with President Donald Trump and the White House COVID-19 Task Force in the Oval Office yesterday.

Trump praised Ducey’s response to COVID-19, saying Ducey had demonstrated how to get soaring COVID-19 cases under control without shutting down the economy.

Ducey lifted Arizona’s stay-at-home order in mid-May and allowed bars, gyms, movie theaters and other spaces where people congregate to reopen. Arizona’s numbers then skyrocketed as the virus became widespread and hospital beds filled. Under pressure, Ducey then allowed local authorities to enact measures requiring the wearing of masks, though he did not issue such an order himself. He also closed down gyms, theaters, water parks and some bars and limited restaurants to 50 percent capacity. Arizona’s numbers began to plateau in mid-July but the virus remains so widespread in Arizona that schools are unable to reopen for in-class sessions this month and instead will be conducted online.

Although Ducey has been out of town this week, the Ducey administration is set to unveil contagion metrics to guide school reopenings by tomorrow.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 182,000 as of Wednesday, Aug. 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 16,964 of the state’s 182,203 confirmed cases.

A total of 3,932 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 5 report.

Arizona hospitals remain under pressure although the number of patients has declined from a peak last month. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 4, 1,945 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.

A total of 1,171 people visited ERs on Aug. 4 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 618 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 4. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

July: Downward trend but a rough month

Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry noted on Friday, July 30, there’s evidence that Pima County’s ordinance requiring masks or face coverings is lowering COVID-19’s spread in the region.

Huckleberry pointed to data showing that two key coronavirus trends measured by week began moving in a positive direction after the county passed the ordinance: The number of positive tests peaked at 2,351 the week after the mask ordinance was passed and dropped to 1,393 two weeks later, and the percentage of people visiting hospitals with symptoms of COVID or pneumonia had dropped from nearly 12 percent to less than 4 percent.

Despite those positive trends, Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik warned that the virus remains widespread. In his weekly newsletter, Kozachik pointed out that Pima County saw 7,747 confirmed cases of COVID in July. That’s nearly as many cases as the 7,780 cases the county saw in total over the previous four months of March, April, May, and June.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 180,000 as of Tuesday, Aug. 4, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 16,809 of the state’s 180,505 confirmed cases.

A total of 3,845 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 4 report.

Arizona hospitals remain under pressure although the number of patients has declined from a peak earlier this month. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 3, 2,024 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13. Yesterday was the lowest number of hospital patients since June, at only 2,017.

A total of 1,111 people visited ERs on Aug. 3 with COVID symptoms. The number of ER visits next lowest dip was on June 29, when 1,077 people with COVID symptoms visited ERs. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 638 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 2, a slight increase from yesterday’s 628. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

It’s Election Day

Arizona voters will decide a variety of primaries at the town, county, state, and federal level today, all the way from Oro Valley Town Council to the U.S. Senate.

Polls are open until 7 p.m.

You can find your precinct polling place here.

If you have an early ballot, you can turn it in at any polling station. This year, to help combat the spread of COVID-19, there will be drive-up ballot collection at all polling places, according to Pima County Elections Director Brad Nelson. Every 15 minutes, someone will come out from the polling place to collect early ballots.

Editor’s Note: Coronavirus has devastated Native American communities and put a spotlight on some long-standing problems in Indian Country that have made this pandemic that much worse. But at the grassroots level, everyday heroes have stepped up to help. Part of a series.

PHOENIX – From a traditional hogan in a remote area on the Utah-Arizona line, Cynthia Wilson spent much of her spring sourcing drought-resistant seeds, packing them in small manila envelopes and labeling them to ship to families across the Four Corners.

Seeds for corn – white, blue and yellow. For squash. For melons. For many of the foods that long sustained her Navajo ancestors, before their land was carved into a reservation and the government started shipping in commodities. And long before the COVID-19 pandemic emptied grocery store shelves of necessities.

The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 179,000 as of Monday, Aug. 3, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 16,741 of the state’s 179,497 confirmed cases.

A total of 3,779 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 3 report.

Arizona hospitals remain under pressure although the number of patients has declined from a peak earlier this month. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 2, 2,017 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13 and the lowest number hospitalized since June 22, when 2,136 were hospitalized.

A total of 1,138 people visited ERs on Aug. 2 with COVID symptoms. The number of ER visits hadn’t dipped that low since June 29, when 1,077 people with COVID symptoms visited ERs. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 628 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 2. That’s the lowest it’s been since June 26, when 657 COVID-19 patients were in ICU. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

Grijalva Tests Positive for Coronavirus

Congressman Raul Grijalva has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Grijalva, 72, had been in self-quarantine after being in contact during hearings with Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, who tested positive last week.

Grijalva, a Democrat who has represented Southern Arizona since he was first elected to Congress in 2002, said he felt fine and was showing no symptoms.

In a prepared statement, Grijalva was critical of Republican members of Congress who refuse to wear masks.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 174,000 as of Friday, July 31, after the state reported 3,212 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 16,167 of the state's 174,010 confirmed cases.

A total of 3,694 people have died after contracting the virus, including 459 in Pima County.

Maricopa County had 117,293 of the state's cases.

Hospitals remain under pressure, although they report a slight decrease in the number of Arizonans hospitalized with COVID-19-related symptoms. The report shows that 2,302 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13. That’s the lowest number of hospitalized COViD patients since June 23, when 2,270 people were in hospital beds.

A total of 1,195 people visited ERs yesterday with COVID symptoms, the lowest that number has dipped since July 28, when 1,225 people sought help in ERs for COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 719 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday, the lowest number since July 3, when XXX COVID patients were in ICU. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

TRAILING IN POLLS, TRUMP SAYS HE WASN'T SERIOUS ABOUT ASKING FOR DELAY IN ELECTION

As he trails Democrat Joe Biden in the polls, President Donald Trump yesterday said he wasn’t really serious about delaying the election, although he expressed concern that allowing people to mail in ballots during a pandemic would lead to massive fraud and lawsuits that could linger in the courts for years.

“Do I want to see a day change?” Trump said during his daily coronavirus briefing. “No. But I don’t want to see a crooked election.”

Trump had started the day with a tweet asking if the election should be delayed.

PHOENIX – Named for the biblical figure Joshua by Mormon pioneers who saw its outstretched limbs as a guide to their westward travels, the Joshua tree is an enduring icon of the Southwest.

In tiny Yucca Valley, California, the spiny succulents that once guided pioneers through the Mojave Desert still adorn the landscape, but as climate change threatens their future, residents are increasingly at odds over their preservation.

Some in the town of roughly 20,000 say that by listing the Joshua tree – which actually is a yucca – as threatened, new restrictions will negatively affect the town’s economy, while others view the protections as necessary to ensure the survival of Yucca brevifolia, which is native to the Mojave Desert.

In October, Brendan Cummings, the conservation director of the Center for Biological Diversity, filed a petition to have the western Joshua tree listed as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 170,000 as of Wednesday, July 29, after the state reported 2,525 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had seen 15,884 of the state's 170,798 confirmed cases.

A total of 3,626 people have died after contracting the virus, including 450 in Pima County.

Maricopa County had 114,852 of the state's cases.

Hospitals remain under pressure, although they report a slight decrease in the number of Arizonans hospitalized with COVID-19-related symptoms. The report shows that 2,348 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13. That’s the lowest number of hospitalized COViD patients since June 24, when 2,453 people were in hospital beds.

A total of 1,315 people visited ERs yesterday with COVID symptoms, an increase since July 27 when 1,158 sought help from symptoms at the ER. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.

A total of 758 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday, the lowest number since July 3, when 796 COVID patients were in ICU. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.

TRAILING IN POLLS, TRUMP ASKS FOR DELAY IN NOVEMBER ELECTION

As he trails in the polls to Democrat Joe Biden, President Donald Trump this morning called for a delay in the November election.

“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” Trump said on Twitter this morning. “It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???”

Trump has no authority to delay the election as the date is set by Congress and elections are run by states.

In other national news, 2012 GOP Republican candidate Herman Cain has died after contracting coronavirus. Cain was photographed at a June Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, without a mask shortly before he was diagnosed with the virus.

ICYMI, here's what we covered today.

• The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 168,000 as of Wednesday, July 29, after the state reported 2,339 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
• The University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film and Television’s 15th annual I Dream In Widescreen student film festival faced several challenges this year due to COVID-19. However, these complications turned the showcase into an online festival, allowing more viewers to see the student films than ever before.
• A candidate for Pima County Attorney returned a campaign contribution from a Tucson man awaiting trial for manslaughter after the Tucson Weekly discovered the donation on the candidate’s recently submitted 2020 pre-primary campaign finance report.
• The Trump administration said Tuesday it will stop accepting new Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals applications and will limit DACA renewals to one year while it undertakes a “full reconsideration” of the Obama-era policy.
• Thousands of gallons of wasted milk. Unpredictable, zigzagging prices. Abrupt dips and surges in demand. The past four months have been a roller coaster for Arizona dairy farms, as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way some of their biggest clients did business.