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If you're free this afternoon and haven't had luck scheduling an appointment for your COVID vaccine, the University of Arizona's state COVID-19 vaccination POD has about 1,500 appointments open today between 2-6 p.m.

People must register for an appointment online at podvaccine.azdhs.gov or call 602-542-1000 or 844-542-8201 for help in both Spanish and English.

With 940 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 843,000 as of Friday, April 2, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County, which reported 139 new cases today, has seen 112,846 of the state’s 843,132 confirmed cases.

With 12 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,989 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,355 deaths in Pima County, according to the April 2 report.

A total of 572 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of April 1. That’s roughly 11% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.

A total of 1,007 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on April 1. That number represents 43% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.

A total of 152 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on April 1, which roughly 13% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.

TUSD announces prom, graduation ceremonies will happen this year

Tucson Unified School District announced Wednesday they have authorized senior prom and graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2021.

Graduation ceremonies will be held outside each high school stadium and will follow safety protocols, including masks and physical distancing of 3 to 6 feet apart per CDC guidelines, Each graduate has a limit of four guests, each guest must have a physical ticket.

The graduation will also be on Livestream or Facebook Live, shared by each school.

TUSD Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo said it's not mandatory, but officials are “strongly encouraging” all seniors to be fully vaccinated, or at least receive the first dose, if applicable, at least two weeks before the event.

Prom will be held outside at each high school with options of hosting prom in a large courtyard, stadium, or soccer field. Tickets will be sold on a pre-sale basis to ensure capacity limits.

Each school will determine whether to offer food, which would be prepackaged or provided by food trucks in a designated area with sanitized tables and handwashing stations located away from the main dance floor.

Trujillo said the activities can safely resume because of the increase in vaccine availability.

When TUSD staff was surveyed three weeks ago, more than half had been vaccinated, Trujillo said, with 4,600 out of 7,800 employees fully vaccinated or at least received their first dose. He estimates this number has probably increased since then. More info here.

Adults older than 16 eligible at state vaccine centers; Pima County expands eligibility to anyone with chronic medical condition

New vaccination appointments at state vaccine PODs will open today at 11 a.m.

You can register for your vaccine appointments at a state POD by visiting pod vaccine.azdhs.gov, and those who need assistance can call 1-844-542-8201.

All adults older than 16 are now eligible for appointments at state vaccination PODs.

Previously, vaccines were limited to people 55 and older as well as frontline workers, educators, first responders and healthcare workers.

As of last week, Pima County expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone 55 and older and anyone older than 16 with at-risk circumstances.

Anyone living with a high-risk medical condition or disability, experiencing homelessness or living in a group setting, or receiving in-home or long-term care can get the vaccine. Some of the high-risk medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart conditions or compromised immunity.

Those in high-risk jobs will also be eligible.

Although the state has expanded eligibility to anyone over 16, Pima County's guidelines had to be limited, said Dr. Theresa Cullen, Health Department director.

“Our decisions are based on the current vaccination rates for 55 and up (which is at 42%), as well as our commitment to ensure ongoing access to vulnerable populations,” Cullen said last week. “We anticipate appointments will be filled quickly and as we move these groups, we look forward to being able to align with the state's recommendations within the next six weeks.”

Those who qualify in Pima County’s priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.

Many local pharmacies are now receiving vaccine doses. To find one near you, visit the ADHS website.

Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing

Pima County is continuing to offer a number of testing centers around town.

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center (2805 E. Ajo Way) and the Udall Center (7200 E. Tanque Verde Road).

The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.

Schedule an appointment at these or other drive-thru or pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The University of Arizona’s antibody testing can determine if you have had COVID and now have antibodies. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.

—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Christina Duran, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen

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Black Salmon/Bigstock

Assistance League of Tucson, a volunteer organization whose mission is “Volunteers working in the Tucson community to help those in need,” faced some grim moments at the outset of the pandemic last year.

The nonprofit saw a dramatic drop in the number of volunteers who are vital to the organization’s operations.

But the organization reacted quickly to the changing conditions brought about by the pandemic.

“We're coming up on our 61st anniversary of helping people, those in need here in Tucson,” said Kim Sterling, Assistance League of Tucson president. “You look ahead and you go, did we do well during the pandemic? Are we going to survive another 60 years and still be here to help out?”

At the start of the pandemic, Sterling said they closed down their thrift shop, which provides about 60 percent of their revenue, with donations and grants providing the rest.

As soon as they closed they began to look at their expenses. In 1959, their founders built up a reserve fund totaling one year’s operating expenses, which they didn’t want to dip into since they could not see the end of the pandemic and worried about the possibility of another disaster, Sterling said.

“We did three things, but we had one goal in mind, keep serving those most in need in the Tucson community,” said Sterling. “So we pivoted our program, we cut costs, and we created new revenue streams.”

Sterling said all five of their programs continued with $190,000 in cuts with the proviso that if revenue increased, funding would return to the programs. They looked to maintain the number of people they served, but reduce the amount provided. Their Starting Over Supplies program required a shift in the way the program operated.

Through the program, the organization works with social workers to provide basic housekeeping supplies and other provisions tailored to individuals who may be experiencing homelessness for the first time or coming out of foster care, said Sterling. So when social service agencies shut down and they could not deliver a kit because they were no longer meeting in person, Sterling said they panicked.

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Bigstock

Tucson Unified School District announced Wednesday they have authorized senior prom and graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2021.

Graduation ceremonies will be held outside each high school stadium and will follow safety protocols, including masks and physical distancing of 3 to 6 feet apart per CDC guidelines, Each graduate has a limit of four guests, each guest must have a physical ticket.

The graduation will also be on Livestream or Facebook Live, shared by each school.

TUSD Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo said it's not mandatory, but officials are “strongly encouraging” all seniors to be fully vaccinated, or at least receive the first dose, if applicable, at least two weeks before the event.

Prom will be held outside at each high school with options of hosting prom in a large courtyard, stadium, or soccer field. Tickets will be sold on a pre-sale basis to ensure capacity limits.

Each school will determine whether to offer food, which would be prepackaged or provided by food trucks in a designated area with sanitized tables and handwashing stations located away from the main dance floor.

Trujillo said the activities can safely resume because of the increase in vaccine availability.

When TUSD staff was surveyed three weeks ago, more than half had been vaccinated, Trujillo said, with 4,600 out of 7,800 employees fully vaccinated or at least received their first dose. He estimates this number has probably increased since then.

With 381 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 842,000 as of Thursday, April 1, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

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Pima County, which reported 30 new cases today, has seen 112,707 of the state’s 842,192 confirmed cases.

With 10 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,997 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,350 deaths in Pima County, according to the April 1 report.

A total of 604 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 31. That’s roughly 12% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.

A total of 1,016 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on March 31. That number represents 43% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.

A total of 168 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on March 31, which roughly 14% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.

Adults older than 16 now eligible for appointments at state vaccine centers; Pima County expands eligibility to anyone with chronic medical condition

All adults older than 16 are now eligible for appointments at state vaccination PODs.

Previously, vaccines were limited to people 55 and older as well as frontline workers, educators, first responders and healthcare workers.

New appointments for the UA POD will open up at 11 a.m. on Fridays, with the Arizona Department of Health Services announcing the number of appointments opening up on Fridays via a Wednesday Twitter post.

As of last week, Pima County expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone 55 and older and anyone older than 16 with at-risk circumstances.

Anyone living with a high-risk medical condition or disability, experiencing homelessness or living in a group setting, or receiving in-home or long-term care can get the vaccine. Some of the high-risk medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart conditions or compromised immunity.

Those in high-risk jobs will also be eligible.

Although the state has expanded eligibility to anyone over 16, Pima County's guidelines had to be limited, said Dr. Theresa Cullen, Health Department director.

“Our decisions are based on the current vaccination rates for 55 and up (which is at 42%), as well as our commitment to ensure ongoing access to vulnerable populations,” Cullen said last week. “We anticipate appointments will be filled quickly and as we move these groups, we look forward to being able to align with the state's recommendations within the next six weeks.”

You can register for your vaccine appointments at a state POD by visiting pod vaccine.azdhs.gov, and those who need assistance can call 1-844-542-8201.

Those who qualify in Pima County’s priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.

Many local pharmacies are now receiving vaccine doses. To find one near you, visit the ADHS website.

ADHS will now announce on Wednesdays via Twitter, @AZDHS, and Facebook the approximate number of first-dose appointments available. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will release those new COVID-19 vaccination appointments every Friday.

Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing

Pima County is continuing to offer a number of testing centers around town.

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center (2805 E. Ajo Way) and the Udall Center (7200 E. Tanque Verde Road).

The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.

Schedule an appointment at these or other drive-thru or pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The University of Arizona’s antibody testing can determine if you have had COVID and now have antibodies. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.

—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Christina Duran, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen

With 733 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases neared 842,000 as of Tuesday, March 31, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

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Pima County, which reported 115 new cases today, has seen 112,667 of the state’s 841,811 confirmed cases.

With 26 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,967 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,351 deaths in Pima County, according to the March 31 report.

A total of 592 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 30. That’s roughly 11% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.

A total of 1,031 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on March 30. That number represents 44% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.

A total of 164 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on March 30, which roughly 14% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.

Pima County, Tucson defy governor, keep mask mandates in place

Pima County's mask mandate remains in effect and health inspectors have the legal authority to enforce mask mandates in food establishments, county officials argued on Tuesday morning.

In a March 26 letter, the Pima County Attorney’s Office informed County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry that Gov. Doug Ducey does not have the legal authority to prevent the County Health Department from enacting reasonable public health measures.

According to Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Pinkney, Resolution 2020-96 mandates everyone in Pima County over the age of 5 must wear a face mask over their nose and mouth, unless they have a qualifying exemption or are able to maintain physical distance. The Board passed the resolution on Dec. 4, 2020.

Pima County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia said on Tuesday that the board has authority, through an Arizona statute (ARS11-251), to adopt provisions to preserve the health of the county, and the Arizona Supreme Court recognized counties “may enact public health measures that are equal to or more restrictive than ADHS.” Garcia called Ducey’s order an “overreach on the part of the executive.”

Garcia admits the arguments being made are similar to those made in court when local bars sued the county for the mandatory curfew passed on Dec. 15, but believes they stand on “solid ground.” and brushed off concerns about a legal challenge. “Bring it on,” Garcia said.

In consultation with Huckelberry, the county attorney and Garcia, County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen will continue to instruct health inspectors to enforce the mask mandate in establishments that prepare or offer food. The resolution also covers any establishment open to the public.

Any establishment found to be violating the resolution can be fined $500 per infraction, and potentially face suspension or revocation of its operating permits. Individuals can also be fined $50 per infraction, although the county has not fined anyone so far, said Garcia in a press briefing Tuesday.

“We believe that most operators in this county are doing the right thing," said Garcia. "We believe that most citizens in Pima County are doing the right thing, and we want to continue to give them the tools that they need to be able to continue to demand that people use masks when they are in public spaces."

Despite the continued vaccination effort and the approval of a federal POD that could vaccinate another 210,000 residents, Garcia noted that last week in Pima County, the number of COVID cases increased last week for the first time in 10 weeks.

For the week ending March 21, Garcia reported Pima County had 16 more cases of COVID-19 than the previous week. The previous week saw one more death than the previous week and case numbers would likely change because of the reporting lag.

Garcia said the bump was only one death, "but that person mattered to their family, and any loss of life, which is avoidable, is something that we need to mitigate against.”

Garcia noted the concern over the growing number of COVID-19 variants in the county and Arizona at large, with the South African, UK, Brazilian, and California variants found in Arizona, which may be more transmissible and potentially more harmful.

“One of the silver linings here, though, is that the same kinds of mitigation measures that allow us to prevent transmission for the normal garden variety COVID are going to be the same ones that allow us to prevent transmission with these potentially more infectious more transmissible variants,” said Garcia.

By enforcing a mask mandate, Garcia hopes to “buy time” for Pima County as they continue in their vaccination effort.

"It’s unfortunate that the governor has taken this action, which other people are interpreting as the pandemic is over,” Garcia said.

While he’s sick of it too, Garcia asks people to continue to follow these “relatively easy measures” until the county has achieved a level of community immunity with at least 75 percent of the population vaccinated. "We are not there yet and we cannot pretend that the behaviors that we're engaged in public don't impact the health and well-being of others,” Garcia said.

The county has vaccinated about 28.2 percent of Pima County residents with 455,873 vaccines administered. Garcia estimates that within another two to three weeks, county officials will achieve a level of vaccination that will allow the community to breathe.

“Our goal here isn’t to fight with the governor or fight with the state," Garcia said. "Our goal is to try to do the best thing that we know how to do for the people of Pima County. We will continue to do that and we hope that we will have a healthier community because of that.

Adults older than 16 now eligible for appointments at state vaccine centers; Pima County expands eligibility to anyone with chronic medical condition

All adults older than 16 are now eligible for appointments at state vaccination PODs.

Previously, vaccines were limited to people 55 and older as well as frontline workers, educators, first responders and healthcare workers.

New appointments for the UA POD will open up at 11 a.m. on Fridays, with the Arizona Department of Health Services announcing the number of appointments opening up on Fridays via a Wednesday Twitter post.

As of last week, Pima County expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone 55 and older and anyone older than 16 with at-risk circumstances.

Anyone living with a high-risk medical condition or disability, experiencing homelessness or living in a group setting, or receiving in-home or long-term care can get the vaccine. Some of the high-risk medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart conditions or compromised immunity.

Those in high-risk jobs will also be eligible.

Although the state has expanded eligibility to anyone over 16, Pima County's guidelines had to be limited, said Dr. Theresa Cullen, Health Department director.

“Our decisions are based on the current vaccination rates for 55 and up (which is at 42%), as well as our commitment to ensure ongoing access to vulnerable populations,” Cullen said last week. “We anticipate appointments will be filled quickly and as we move these groups, we look forward to being able to align with the state's recommendations within the next six weeks.”

You can register for your vaccine appointments at a state POD by visiting pod vaccine.azdhs.gov, and those who need assistance can call 1-844-542-8201.

Those who qualify in Pima County’s priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.

Many local pharmacies are now receiving vaccine doses. To find one near you, visit the ADHS website.

ADHS will now announce on Wednesdays via Twitter, @AZDHS, and Facebook the approximate number of first-dose appointments available. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will release those new COVID-19 vaccination appointments every Friday.

Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing

Pima County is continuing to offer a number of testing centers around town.

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center (2805 E. Ajo Way) and the Udall Center (7200 E. Tanque Verde Road).

The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.

Schedule an appointment at these or other drive-thru or pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The University of Arizona’s antibody testing can determine if you have had COVID and now have antibodies. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.

—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Christina Duran, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen

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Pixy

WASHINGTON – Traffic deaths in Arizona surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, even as the number of miles driven in the state appeared to be decreasing, according to preliminary statistics from 2020.

There were 1,072 deaths on the state’s highways in 2020, the most in at least the past 10 years and a sharp increase from the 980 deaths recorded in 2019, according to preliminary data from the Governor’s Office on Highway Safety.

That increase in highway fatalities came as gasoline sales in the state last year fell 12% from the year before, the biggest one-year percentage drop in sales in almost 40 years of U.S. Energy Information Administration data on sales.

The Arizona numbers mirrored a national trend: A recent report from the National Safety Council said that total motor vehicle deaths in the U.S. rose 8% from the number recorded in 2019, even as miles driven in 2020 dropped 13%.

While the pandemic likely depressed driving, Kenneth Kolosh, manager of statistics at the National Safety Council, pointed to several possible reasons it may also have played a role in “this pretty much unprecedented increase (in fatalities) we’re seeing on the roads today.”

“There is more speeding occurring. This is particularly an issue when the lockdowns were in place and the roads were very empty and we saw large increases in speed, and we’re seeing large increases in speed-related crashes and fatalities,” Kolosh said.

He also said the use of seatbelts “went way down” during the pandemic.

“Being ejected from a crash, one, it’s very life-threatening if you’re ejected from your vehicle during a crash,” said Kolosh, who added that seatbelt use is “one of the most fast and easiest ways you can protect yourself.”

The National Safety Council report said traffic fatalities across the country rose from 39,107 in 2019, when U.S. motorists logged 3.26 trillion miles on the road, to 42,060 in 2020, when total miles traveled dropped to 2.83 trillion.

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Pima County Health Department

"Our goal is to try to do the best thing that we know how to do for the people of Pima County,” Pima County Chief Medical Officer Francisco Garcia said.

Pima County's mask mandate remains in effect and health inspectors have the legal authority to enforce those mandates in food establishments, county officials argued on Tuesday morning.

In a March 26 letter, the Pima County Attorney’s Office informed County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry that Gov. Doug Ducey does not have the legal authority to prevent the County Health Department from enacting reasonable public health measures.

Everyone in Pima County over the age of 5 must wear a face mask over their nose and mouth unless they have a qualifying exemption or are able to maintain physical distance, according to Resolution 2020-96, said Deputy County Attorney Jonathan Pinkney. The Board passed the resolution on Dec. 4, 2020.

Pima County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia said the board has authority, through an Arizona statute (ARS11-251), to adopt provisions to preserve the health of the county, and the Arizona Supreme Court recognized counties “may enact public health measures that are equal to or more restrictive than ADHS.” Garcia called Ducey’s order an “overreach on the part of the executive.”

Garcia admits the arguments being made are similar to those made in court when local bars sued the county for the mandatory curfew passed on Dec. 15, but believes they stand on “solid ground.” and brushed off concerns about a legal challenge.

“Bring it on,” Garcia said.

Contrary to Ducey’s statement that mask mandates are neither followed nor enforced, Garcia said Pima County receives complaints through their portal.

He explained the county has a “‘three strikes and you're out” process in place to process complaints. The county receives complaints and works with businesses to resolve the conflict. He said there have been very few cases the county needed to take action.

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Sofia Fuentes/Cronkite News

Since the first shutdown almost a year ago, Sedona has seen a massive amount of visitors and pollution.

LOS ANGELES – Face masks, plastic bottles and bags – and feces, both dog and human – are some of the unsightly waste you could encounter these days while hiking in the red rocks of Sedona. Discarded masks also litter the beaches of Southern California, which already were battling a growing scourge of plastic and microplastics in the ocean.

Environmentalists fear the situation will get worse as the nation emerges from a year of pandemic restrictions.

With Americans unable to pursue many of the activities they enjoyed before COVID-19 emerged last year, scenic spots across the Southwest have offered a respite and a safer form of entertainment courtesy of the great outdoors. Many natural spots in Arizona were considered essential services during the state’s stay-at-home order, leading to packed hiking trails and facilities. In California, many beaches were closed during the peak summer tourism season but have since reopened, leading to crowds.

The downside of that influx of visitors is increased litter on beaches from San Diego to Malibu, and in favorite Arizona spots like Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon.

Keep Sedona Beautiful Inc., which started in 1972 to protect and sustain the area’s unique environment, has done its best to curb litter with a combination of education, advocacy and litter lifts.

Carla Williams, the nonprofit’s executive vice president, has noticed an uptick in people traveling to Sedona and has seen a major increase in day-trippers and overall travel to red rock country during the pandemic.