Monday, April 27, 2020
Pima County had 1,164 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 275 people statewide, including 76 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 3,457.
Because testing lags in Arizona and COVID-19 symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials say community spread of the disease is worse than the official numbers suggest. They continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
This week, Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-home-home order, which drew a two-day protest earlier this month at the state Capitol, expires on Thursday, April 30.
The order has closed a wide number of “non-essential” businesses, including bars, barbershops, salons, theaters, gyms, swap meets, and many retail stores. Restaurants may remain open but only for takeout and delivery service. Public parks remain open but amenities such as playgrounds and restrooms are closed.
Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak said that administration officials were still tracking data to determine the best course of action regarding whether the stay-at-home order would be extended into May.
“We appreciate the passion expressed by Arizonans yesterday, and share their desire to get back to normal as quickly as possible,” Ptak said. Gov. Ducey is working closely with President Trump, Vice President Pence, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Cara Christ, and state, local and federal health experts to implement the latest guidance from CDC and the White House. Every decision we make will continue to be informed by public health and a commitment to reenergizing our economy when it is responsible and safe to do so.”
Ptak said there were three options under consideration.
“We can let the order expire. We can extend it as is. Or we can extend it with changes and modifications that reflect Arizona’s improving situation on the ground,” Ptak said. “The decision will be based on the data over the next week as well as the guidance and recommendations of public health officials.”
Friday, April 24, 2020
While some districts have had a relatively smooth transition, others have found themselves forced to provide everything from wireless access to laptops for families – and sometimes teachers – who might not otherwise be able to participate.
“Many of our districts were able to shift pretty quickly to online learning, many of our districts already had laptops that they were able to loan out to students,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman said in a web conference Wednesday organized by the Arizona Capitol Times.
On the other hand, Hoffman said, “far too many districts” did not have the resources to make the switch, specifically the Navajo Nation.
“This digital divide is crippling to Arizona and it’s not going to be a short-term problem, it’s going to be a long-term issue that we need to address,” Hoffman said, highlighting issues such as a lack of technology devices and internet access.
The Baboquivari Unified School District on the Tohono O’odham Nation is a case in point.
Because of spotty internet access, the district had to bring in wireless hotspots, said Superintendent Edna Morris, then followed that by distributing Chromebooks to families that did not have a computer, so students could do their schoolwork at home.
Today Congressman Raúl Grijalva joined with a number of border groups to call for a suspension on construction of the border wall during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press conference call, they said the construction only puts vulnerable communities further at risk and all federal resources should be aimed at fighting the pandemic.
While President Trump recently announced he would suspend immigration into the United States for 60 days in order to slow the spread of the virus, the coalition was quick to point out that deportations are still continuing, including deportation of people with known cases of COVID-19 to countries that already have a strained healthcare system. Meanwhile, the number of people housed in U.S. detention centers continues to grow.
There are still thousands of asylum seekers in Mexico waiting to present themselves at the US border for protection.
Efrén Olivares, legal director of the Racial and Economic Justice Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project, represents about a dozen landowners located near the US/Mexico border. Their properties have been identified by the U.S. government as key building spots for the wall, and Olivares provides counsel to them in their condemnation cases. He is now working to get the government to halt construction so that landowners won't be put at risk of being in contact with workers during this time.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic in the last month, month and a half, not only has border wall planning and construction work not slowed down in some places, in fact it has accelerated," he said.
In early March, he represented a 75-year-old man who had 15 surveyors for the border wall come to his property, in an effort to make preparations for the construction. Another one of his clients, a woman in her 60s, was also visited by a group of surveyors trying to make contact.
Olivares argues that these groups of workers, who weren't wearing any personal protective equipment, are endangering the lives of these older citizens who live in rural settings and do not have easy access to medical care.
"This virus has opened up a portal," Grijalva said. "And as you walk through it, we're seeing who's left behind. We're seeing where the relief is not reaching people."
Tags: COVID-19 , Border Wall , Construction , Raúl Grijalva , Vicki Gaubeca , Efrén Olivares , Social Distancing , Immigration , Detention Center , President Trump , Image
“The Small Business Administration will resume accepting PPP loan applications on Monday, April 27 at 10:30 AM EDT from approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower," according to the statement. "This will ensure that SBA has properly coded the system to account for changes made by the legislation."
The SBA recently set new guidelines to help ensure small businesses will receive this round of funding, and not publically traded companies. Under the new guidelines, companies will have to certify that they do not have other sources of funding (like the ability to sell company stock) and are unable to secure a loan from a financial institution to be eligible.
In addition, the SBA is also urging large corporations to give back the money received during the last of $350 billion disbursements of PPP loans - which ran dry in two weeks - or face scrutiny over whether they made the required certification in good faith. Corporations with other means of securing funding and accepted a PPP loan will have until May 7, 2020, to repay their loan in full without further SBA investigation.
“We encourage all approved lenders to process loan applications previously submitted by eligible borrowers and disburse funds expeditiously. All eligible borrowers who need these funds should work with an approved lender to apply," according to the statement. "Borrowers should carefully review PPP regulations and guidance and the certifications required to obtain a loan."
For more information on the Paycheck Protection Program, click here.
Tags: sba , ppp , money , fund , loan , relief , covid19 , pandemic , small business , Image
Such was the case for Madaras Gallery, owned and operated by local artist Diana Madaras, when President Donald Trump delivered his speech at the March 17 Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.
The same night the president asked businesses to allow employees to work from home and limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people, Madaras sent an email to her staff to remind everyone how vital it was to keep the gallery clean. She voluntarily closed down a few days later.
Madaras said she was uncomfortable and worried for the safety of her staff and customers. She was hearing too much “scary information” about COVID-19.
That decision came with a price, however.
“We’re still doing some online business, and we’ve tried to get creative to generate revenue,” Madaras said. “It’s been a real challenge.”
Rising to the challenge, the gallery team shifted its focus to several new ventures. Madaras and her sister produce one-minute videos for YouTube, the company website now hosts free coloring pages for kids. In addition to artwork, customers can also purchase birthday gift baskets, and there’s now curb-side pickup. Customers can also take advantage of free no-contact delivery for larger canvases.
One of the most popular new programs is the virtual home visit, Madaras said. Customers can send a photo of their wall and provide a list of paintings they live or ask for suggestions based on decor. The Madaras team then edits artwork into the photos so customers can plan out their rooms.
Aside from helping customers decorate their homes during quarantine, Madaras and her team repainted the gallery and hung new art so everything is fresh and new for re-opening. They’re still waiting for guidelines from the government regarding customer safety, and Madaras said she doesn’t anticipate hosting any large events for a while.
Outside of the gallery, Madaras recently donated 600 coloring books and boxes of crayons to Tucson Unified School District for distribution in the school lunch program.
“Here are these kids that are quarantined...and they might not have coloring books and crayons at home,” Madaras said. “These are the kids that would come to school for the school lunch program. So when they came for their lunch, they got a little surprise.”
For more information, visit madarasgallery.com online or call (520) 615-3001 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Last week, a group of angry and desperate Citi Tax Financial customers gathered outside the company’s storefront in Augusta, Georgia. Millions of Americans had received a big deposit from the IRS in their bank accounts, but they had not. The IRS website told them their coronavirus stimulus checks were deposited in an account they didn’t recognize.
With an officer from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office beside him and another officer shouting for people to be quiet, the tax preparation company’s owner told the crowd of about 60, only a few of whom wore masks, that he didn’t have their money.
Because of the baroque machinery that runs the tax preparation industry, the IRS had sent the money to a bank Citi Tax works with but the customers had not heard of. That bank sent the payments back to the IRS.
Citi Tax’s clients — just like some clients of big tax brands such as H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt and TurboTax — didn’t get their money for the very reason Congress wanted to get money to them quickly in the first place: They are poor. The Georgia customers, almost all black women, are among the likely millions of Americans who are having trouble getting the stimulus funds they are owed. The IRS’ difficulty in swiftly getting payments to Americans has a basic, root cause: There are multiple private actors sitting between the IRS and tax filers.
Behavioral health providers will be playing a crucial role as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt daily life. Some have already found that the isolation stemming from social distancing guidelines is causing an increase in depression and anxiety symptoms, and folks who already had mental health or substance abuse issues before the pandemic are facing more difficulty than ever before.
As their workload suddenly increased, these providers are looking to connect with clients remotely in order to protect public health. Most have phased out their in-person therapy sessions and have moved to online meetings.
The Warm Line, a confidential, non-emergency phone service operated by HOPE Incorporated, has seen an 80 percent increase in calls over the last month and a half. HOPE Incorporated provides peer-driven behavioral health services, and the Warm Line was set up to give general support and reliable resources to those dealing with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Before COVID-19, they received more than 2,500 calls each month.
The phone operators have fielded many calls relating to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and just pure fear of what is happening globally right now.
“It’s definitely increased the need for services,” said Michael Van Story, manager of the Warm Line. “We work with people who have depression and anxiety every day of their lives in a clinical manner. And when you cut them off from their support system or parts of their support system and further isolate them, which is the exact wrong thing to do with depression and anxiety, it only increases that fourfold.”
He said the Warm Line provides an “actively listening ear” that will hear their callers’ issues and concerns without judgment, and will try to relate to them and let them know how they’ve worked through similar situations themselves. Everyone who works at HOPE Incorporated has experienced mental health and/or substance abuse issues firsthand. They can also help with “psycho-social” issues such as being out of work, not being able to buy food or pay rent.
While the Warm Line has regular callers who use their services for ongoing challenges, they’re also starting to hear from new callers who have never experienced these symptoms before.
Van Story added nine additional staff members for the increased demand, and even with three or four people working each shift they’re still fighting to keep up with the calls.
“But that’s OK, that’s what we’re here for and that’s what they need,” he said.
The Warm Line (520) 770-9909 is funded through a grant from Arizona Complete Health and is available for free to residents of Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties from 8 am to 10 pm daily. Callers can remain anonymous if they choose.
Telehealth coverage
When Governor Doug Ducey signed his “Expansion of Telemedicine” executive order on March 25, it required all health insurance providers regulated by the Arizona Department of Insurance to provide coverage for telemedicine services. Insurers are required to reimburse healthcare providers at the same level of payment for a telemedicine visit as they would for a regular in-person visit.
As recently as this week, some federal insurance providers refused to cover telehealth services and could do so since they were outside of the state’s jurisdiction.
Richard Poppy, the owner and executive director of Desert Star Addiction Recovery Center located in northwest Tucson, said they are in-network providers with all major insurance companies including TRICARE, which is managed by the federal government and covers active and retired military members.
TRICARE had refused to reimburse Desert Star for the telehealth services it provided to its policyholders. The center specializes in Intensive Out-Patient and Partial Hospitalization programs for people with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
Poppy said TRICARE’s refusal to cover their clients’ costs was contradictory to the governor’s goal to expand telehealth. Desert Star switched to telehealth six weeks ago in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic to reach Southern Arizona. They are utilizing online therapy sessions and online support groups to keep their clients connected and engaged in recovery programs during this difficult time.
After contacting U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick’s office as well as Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally for assistance with this issue, Poppy found vindication in a letter from the Defense Health Agency addressed to Health Net, which administers TRICARE insurance, stating that IOPs and other behavioral health programs will now be covered.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created seismic shifts in the availability of all medical services, including behavioral health care services,” said DHA Contracting Officer Frederick M. Kmiecik in the letter. “Many of these programs have either suspended operations or transitioned to online-only services to support State and Regional directives for social distancing. … This is especially important for those patients requiring intensive behavioral health care intervention who may also have comorbid risk factors, readiness needs, or family members who may be at high risk from COVID-19, where the dangers to health or readiness must be balanced with the need for behavioral health care services.”
Before this change in policy, Poppy provided services to six of his clients pro bono. He said now is a crucial time for those with substance abuse issues to be receiving care, and he couldn't deny people services just because their insurance wouldn’t cover it.
"You have probably seen in the paper that alcohol sales are going through the roof," Poppy said. "This is likely to increase a person's drinking and exasperate a drinking problem if they have one. We are hearing about this from loved ones. On the mental health side it is similar, people don't have as much to do and are left to themselves, their thoughts and their feelings. We are hearing about an increase in depression and anxiety. For people who have had past trauma in their life, these old memories may start to pop up along with disturbing thoughts and uncomfortable feelings associated with those events."
He expects telehealth to be a regular part of the field going forward, and hopes insurance companies and state and federal governments will understand the need for such capabilities on a regular basis, even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
Tags: Telehealth , Telemedicine , Warm Line , Hope Incorporated , Desert Star Addiction Recovery Center , Substance Abuse , Mental Health , Governor Doug Ducey , TRICARE , Image
The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act passed 388-5 Thursday during an unusual session in which mask-wearing House members, out since mid-March because of the coronavirus, were called to vote in rotation so they could keep their distance.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, was one of the five “no” votes on the bill, saying in a statement after the vote that he was troubled by $12 billion earmarked for “surveillance” and “contact tracing” of COVID-19 victims, activities he said “have been used to spy on Americans.”
But other Arizona lawmakers said that while the bill did not do everything they wanted, it was important to get assistance out to businesses and health care workers.
“The changes we made will make a difference for Arizona’s small businesses, but we’re going to have to continue to work together in a bipartisan way to ensure support actually reaches those who need it most,” said Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Phoenix, in a statement released by his office.
President Donald Trump was expected to sign the bill Friday, just one week after the original $349 billion loan program ran out of money in the face of overwhelming demand from businesses that have been hit hard by COVID-19.
Pima County had 1,060 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 266 people statewide, including 74 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 3,116.
The state is not yet releasing information about how many people who have tested positive have now recovered.
Because testing lags in Arizona and COVID-19 symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials say community spread of the disease is worse than the official numbers suggest. They continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
Far-right protestors spent Sunday and Monday expressing their unhappiness with Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order that has closed a wide number of “non-essential” businesses, including many retail stores, barbershops, salons, and swap meets. Public parks remain open but amenities such as playgrounds and restrooms are closed.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 5,769 as of Thursday, April 23, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. They are still not reporting recoveries as of yet.
- Our new print edition is out for the week, so here's where you can snag a physical copy.
- Schools have already been canned through the school year, but plans for summer camps are still up in the air.
- It may not be too late for a PPP loan, and the Chamber of Commerce is asking businesses to still apply even though they're not being accepted.
- The culinary staff at Casino Del Sol are staying busy despite the shutdown, preparing lunches for local healthcare professionals across the region.
- See where your favorite board candidate stands on how they feel the county has dealt with the COVID-19 outbreak.
