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Five years ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tried to plug a crucial hole in its preparations for a global pandemic, signing a $13.8 million contract with a Pennsylvania manufacturer to create a low-cost, portable, easy-to-use ventilator that could be stockpiled for emergencies.

This past September, with the design of the new Trilogy Evo Universal finally cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, HHS ordered 10,000 of the ventilators for the Strategic National Stockpile at a cost of $3,280 each.

But as the pandemic continues to spread across the globe, there is still not a single Trilogy Evo Universal in the stockpile.

Instead last summer, soon after the FDA’s approval, the Pennsylvania company that designed the device — a subsidiary of the Dutch appliance and technology giant Royal Philips N.V. — began selling two higher-priced commercial versions of the same ventilator around the world.

“We sell to whoever calls,” said a saleswoman at a small medical-supply company on Staten Island that bought 50 Trilogy Evo ventilators from Philips in early March and last week hiked its online price from $12,495 to $17,154. “We have hundreds of orders to fill. I think America didn’t take this seriously at first, and now everyone’s frantic.”

The stories we followed today:

• Pima County had 202 of the state's 1,289 confirmed COVID-19 cases. A total of 24 people have now died after contracting the novel coronavirus.

• Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry is sending as many employees as he can home, either on leave or telecommuting.

• Some dumb UA students had a party during the outbreak and now Police Chief Chris Magnus is letting scofflaws know that they will break up future fiestas.

• Sunnyside School Board member Consuela Hernandez joins Adelita Grijalva, TUSD Board member and daughter of Congressman Raul Grijalva, in a mad dash to collect enough signatures to run for the Pima County Board of Supervisors seat held by Richard Elías, who died of an apparent heart attack over the weekend. Candidates have until 5 p.m Monday, April 6, to turn in signatures.

• Bad news: Bisbee Breakfast Club is closing Tucson locations until further notice.

• Some good news: Prep & Pastry, Commoner & Co. and eegee's are stepping up to delivery meals to several grocery stores; people are being more neighborly.

• Ways you can help: Banner Health is accepting donations of medical gear. Park Senior Villas at La Canada, a senior living community, is asking for a bit of love for its residents, including cards, groceries, drawings, and more.

• If you're bored: You can still get a library card online if you never bothered to get one at your local branch.

Pima County employees deemed non-essential will be asked to stay home from work until Gov. Doug Ducey’s stay-at-home order is lifted, the county announced Tuesday.

As of Wednesday, April 1, employees sent home will be eligible for county and federal pandemic leave. County employees still working in their offices will continue to do so, though efforts are being made to transition as many people as possible to work from home.

The county’s decision comes one day after Gov. Ducey issued his stay-home order.

According to Pima County, employees considered “essential” are defined as “anyone whose function is essential to the effective operation of the county or who must be physically present to perform their jobs or those employees who are involved in emergency response activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Pima County Board of Supervisors adopted an enhanced pandemic outbreak policy on March 17 which provides county employees an additional 80 hours of “County Pandemic Outbreak Leave.”

The county’s program will be in addition to H.R. 6201 (Families First Coronavirus Act), which was signed into law on March 18 and goes into effect April 1 to provide protected leave for employees.

County employees can receive a maximum of $5,110 from the county program if they are unable to work or telework because they are the subject of quarantine, are advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine or experience symptoms of COVID-19. There is also $2,000 available to employees who are caring for someone under quarantine or watching their children during that time.

“I would like to thank our employees, managers, and directors for assisting in providing essential services to the people of Pima County in these stressful and uncertain times,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry wrote in a March 31 memo. "Your public service dedication is very much appreciated by the Board of Supervisors and myself.”

A University of Arizona senior hosted a house party over the weekend despite the City of Tucson's call to avoid nonessential gatherings. The party caused a response from the Tucson Police Department, which later released a statement saying they are "ready to enforce social distancing using state statutes, the red tag ordinance or possibly new ordinances with the help of the city attorney and the mayor and council."

Mayor Regina Romero issued an order on Friday, March 27 to shutter all non-essential businesses that are not protected from mandatory closure by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. She asked Tucsonans to stay home and avoid necessary trips and urged Ducey to issue a statewide “stay-at-home” order, which he did yesterday afternoon.

Romero's order is effective through Friday, April 17.

Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus warned of consequences for those who disregard the order. He noted that house parties are not included in Ducey's list of "essential activity," and attendees at such gatherings could be charged with a class 1 misdemeanor.

"The worst consequence would be if you pass this virus on to someone who has a serious illness or dies as a result," Magnus said in a press release. "That could be a family member, a friend, or someone you've never met. Although it's especially dangerous for older people and people with certain underlying conditions, this coronavirus can have serious consequences for anyone, regardless of age or health. No matter who you are, you are not immune."

The fear of hunger has driven many to stock up food supplies and, in the worst cases, to hoard. That hunger for food will most likely be satisfied one way or another. Some may die after contracting COVID-19, but no one is going to starve to death.

There is another kind of hunger developing—one that cannot be countered by stocking up. It is the hunger for human companionship. The press of flesh, if only a handshake and a hug. This is a hunger that drives people to ignore warnings, at their peril and others, and congregate on beaches and in bars. For the majority of us who are acting responsibly and staying at home, the hunger is setting in and will run deep, and is a reminder of how much we depend on each other in ways small and large.

Last week, I received at text from my daughter in San Diego, a wife and a mother of a 3 year old boy. She texted that as she walked around her block she and her son saw some people across the street on the other sidewalk. As they passed, her little boy said, "social distancing," in his sweet, sing-song voice. My daughter said it made her want to cry. Even more heartrending, her son lamented that recently his aunt and uncle, who live a block away, didn't want to touch him the last time they saw him. When we hear this, we all want to cry.

My wife and I recently returned to our suburban home on our usually quiet street at the end of our daily dog walk to find many of our neighbors standing in the street, at a social distance, having a pleasant impromptu get-together. The mood was upbeat, despite the downbeat circumstances, and as I watched the adults chatter, the kids draw chalk lines on the concrete driveway and the dogs mill about, I was struck by the tangible exhibition of hunger that we are all experiencing for human interaction. We have all known each other for years and occasionally wave a quick hello from an open car window, but this gathering was something new and I couldn't help but join in and find a reassuring sense of calm in the simple act of a face-to-face conversation.

It's hard to find anything positive to hang on to as we move helplessly into a frightening and surreal world, where routines are shattered and no one, not even the best authorities, can tell us with certainty how this will end, but maybe I stumbled on to one good thought. Our prior daily lives have been so over-programmed and sped-up for so long that we have forgotten some old and beneficial habits. A call to an old friend to ask if he or she is well, a book on the night stand we've been meaning to read or, as in my case, a friendly meeting with a neighbor to share our life experiences, to tell a joke, to wish each other well. It would be nice if when we return to some sense of normal, we can remember that we all have a hunger greater than the pang for food, and make the effort to feed that hunger with greater outreach and kindness to neighbors, friends and strangers.

We are truly, each day, whether good or bad, all in this together.

Have you caught COVID-19? Is your small business struggling to make it? Have you lost your job as a result of the outbreak? Are you struggling to manage your kids while schools are closed? Tell us your COVID-19 stories. Send an email or photo to [email protected].

The Banner Health Foundation is accepting donations of medical supplies and personal protective equipment for use in Banner Health’s Arizona hospitals and medical centers.

Donations can be dropped off, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Banner Health Home office located at 575 E. River Road. The foundation asks that any donation be an unused item that the business or resident does not currently need, and not a new item purchased for the purpose of donating.

The following unused items are needed:

• Masks (N95 and Surgical/Procedural)
• Disinfecting wipes (Clorox, Lysol, other brands)
• Alcohol-based cleaning wipes such Sani-cloth wipes
• Non-sterile gloves (nitrile)
• Protective face shields or goggles that can be worn over glasses
• Isolation or surgical gowns
• Shoe covers
• Non-perfumed hand sanitizer appropriate for use in a clinical setting, with greater than 60% ethanol alcohol or 70% isopropanol (No gels containing glitter, please)
• Paper towels
• Liquid hand soap
• Homemade masks for optional social-comfort use by Banner’s health care workers (Note these cannot be worn by those providers who are directly caring for COVID-19 patients, nor those in any procedure rooms or isolation areas.)

Monetary donations can be made by clicking here.

For the safety of volunteers and staff, place donations in the trunk of your vehicle and pull into the donation line on site. A volunteer will unload the items.

Banner Health is also accepting donations of medical supplies and PPE in Phoenix and Payson.
“Amid this unprecedented time in our history, it has been incredible to witness the generosity of our community members who want to give back,” said Andy Kramer Petersen, president, and CEO of the Banner Health Foundation. “We continue to be inspired by the many people, groups, and companies offering to help, even while caring for their own families in these rapidly shifting times. We hope to make it as easy as possible for them.”

On Tuesday, Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner announced that the company would take the temperatures of all its employees as they arrive to work. This new measure includes all Walmart facilities: stores, clubs, and distribution centers.

Shipping infrared thermometers to all locations will take up to three weeks.

In a company communication, Furner said employees will also be asked health screening questions. Any employee with a temperature exceeding 100 degrees will be paid for reporting to work and asked to return home and seek any necessary medical attention.

Employees will not be able to return to work until fever-free for at least three days.

“As our company and country continue to deal with the spread of COVID-19, we remain focused on the health and safety of our associates,” Furner wrote.

Furner added that the company’s emergency leave policy will allow employees to stay at home if they have any COVID-19 related symptoms or concerns, or if they are in quarantine.

In addition to temperature checks, Walmart is also making masks and gloves available to any employee who wants to wear them (as supplies permit). Furner wrote that masks should arrive within two weeks.

“We will continue to consult with health officials and experts inside and outside Walmart as this situation evolves,” Furner wrote. “We greatly appreciate the work our associates are doing for customers, members, and their communities, and we will continue to prioritize their health and well-being.”

Prep & Pastry, Commoner & Co. and eegee's have partnered up to deliver donated breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to grocery store workers throughout Tucson today.

“These individuals are taking a risk for all of us; they’re potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19 so that the rest of us can have access to critical grocery services, and we thought it was important to show our appreciation,” said Ron Petty, CEO of eegee’s, in a press release.
The move comes just after Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued a statewide stay-at-home order as confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Arizona have climbed past 1,100. Under the order, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies.

Today in Southern Arizona COVID-19 news:

• Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered a statewide stay-at-home order beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, although people may still shop for groceries, and other supplies; go to work at a business the governor has deemed essential; visit family and friends who need help; and visit the great outdoors. Just stay at home as much as possible, folks. This is no joke. Ducey also joined Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman to announce that Arizona schools would remain closed through the remainder of the academic year.

• A local nursing home has reported 27 COVID-19 cases.

• Local courts have announced a new protective order process in response to COVID-19.

• Local First Arizona has launched a small business relief fund.

• In non-COVID-19 news: Adelita Grijalva, a TUSD Board member and daughter of Congressman Raul Grijalva, announced she would launch a bid for the District 5 seat on the Pima Board of Supervisors left vacant by the death of Supervisor Richard Elias.

Gov. Doug Ducey has issued a statewide stay-at-home order as confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Arizona have climbed past 1,100.

Under the order, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies. You can also go work, pick up a take-out meal from a restaurant, travel to take care of a family member, friend or pet, and can still go walking, hiking, biking and golfing, provided that you adhere to social distancing guidelines. Essential businesses, as recently designated by Ducey, may remain open.

“Arizona citizens and businesses are already responsibly responding to this crisis," Ducey said. "This order builds on the state’s efforts to protect public health by reminding Arizonans to maintain healthy habits and find alternative ways to stay connected with friends and loved ones while spending time at home. Slowing the spread of COVID-19 will ensure we build capacity in our healthcare system, and help protect the lives of those we love most. It’s important to emphasize that there are no plans to shut down grocery stores. People should continue to buy what you need for a week’s worth of groceries."

Local officials such as Mayor Regina Romero have been calling for Ducey to take further steps to restrict people's activities as the outbreak spreads.

Ducey's order comes as the number of deaths from the virus hit 20 and statewide confirmed cases surpassed four figures. A total of 1,157 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Arizona, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. There are now 187 confirmed cases in Pima County.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 690.

Earlier today, Gov. Doug Ducey and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced this morning that school closures would continue through the end of the school year. Schools are transitioning to online learning and districts across the region are delivering lunch and breakfast meals to kids via school buses or setting up central locations.