Friday, February 5, 2021
PHOENIX – Apprehensive Arizona parents of high school athletes can rest easier now.
Citing improving COVID-19 metrics, the Arizona Interscholastic Association executive board has amended its current attendance policy so that up to two parents or legal guardians of student-athletes can attend away games, the governing body announced via a release on Thursday afternoon.
Prior to Thursday’s announcement, parents and guardians could only attend home games of their children. The new rules will be in effect starting Feb. 8.
“It is at the discretion of the home school whether or not parent/legal guardian spectators are permitted,” the release said.
“Masks must be worn and social distancing requirements maintained.”
The news of the AIA’s decision comes after nearly a week of petitioning from local parents who believed their inability to attend games posed a safety hazard for their children. One Valley mother, Tiffany Hunt, organized this petition, which garnered nearly 4,000 signatures in a week.
With 3,826 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 775,000 as of Friday, Feb. 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 484 new cases today, has seen 103,932 of the state’s 775,622 confirmed cases.
With 196 new deaths reported today, a total number of 13,948 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 1,899 deaths in Pima County, according to the Feb. 5 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide has declined in recent weeks, with 3,167 coronavirus patients in the hospital as of Feb. 4. That number peaked at 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 1,633 people visited emergency rooms on Feb. 4 with COVID symptoms, down from 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 909 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Feb. 4, down from a peak of 1,183 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.
How to get a vaccine
Currently, Pima County is providing vaccination shots to people 70 and older as well as educators, first responders and healthcare workers. Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.
State cuts Pima County vaccine allocation by 40 percent
The Arizona Department of Health Services told Pima County officials yesterday that the allocation of vaccine doses would be cut by 40 percent this week.
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Those over 70 can now begin registering for vaccine appointments that will start Monday, Feb. 8, the Pima County Health Department announced today.
While only the 75+ age group, protective service workers and educators were previously eligible, the health department is expanding its 1B priority group of vaccine recipients to include individuals over 70 after vaccinating more than 130,000 residents over the past six weeks, according to health department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen.
“The pace of appointments for educators and protective services has slowed as we think we’re nearing saturation of the people in those groups who want to be vaccinated, so we’re opening appointments to 70 and older,” Cullen said.
While Gov. Doug Ducey has included the 65+ population in Arizona’s 1B priority group, Pima County is further restricting the qualifying age group based on the likelihood of severe outcomes for older populations who contract COVID-19.
According to the health department, Pima County's population of those over 65 totals more than 212,000. Per the 2019 Census, the county has more than 54,400 residents between the ages of 70 and 74.
“We’re only opening vaccination to 70-plus because we still have a lot of 75+ people to vaccinate and we don’t want to overwhelm our registration system or create more demand than we have vaccine supply,” Cullen said.
Depending on vaccine supply, the health department said those over 65 may be eligible for vaccines in late February.According to Pima County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia, the state reduced Pima County’s already constrained vaccine supply by more than 12,000 doses. The county received 29,000 vaccines this week and is set to receive 17,800 next week.
“Vaccine supply is the ultimate limiting factor in how many people we can get vaccinated and how quickly. We are wary of getting too far ahead of the available vaccine with our appointments,” Garcia said. “It’s hard to estimate how fast we can move to vaccinating 65 to 69 folks because the state’s system for vaccine distribution is opaque.”
The 70+ population, educators and protective service workers will now be able to register for vaccine appointments at the following locations:
Tucson Medical Center at 5301 E. Grant Road
Banner UA Cancer Center at 3838 N. Campbell Ave.
Banner UMC-South at the Kino Sports Complex at 2500 E. Ajo Way
Tucson Convention Center at 260 S. Church Ave.
While the health department is considering opening the University of Arizona vaccine site to more priority groups, it remains restricted to educators only.
Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients of can register for a vaccine at pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.
While vaccinations at the Tucson Convention Center were previously targeted toward protective service workers and educators, the Pima County Health Department is expanding vaccines at TCC to the 75+ population.
The health department said many educators and protective service workers are not choosing TCC to make vaccine appointments. While the site can handle up to 1,500 shots a day, only a few hundred daily appointments are being made.
To fill the empty time slots, Pima County and City of Tucson have contacted organizations employing priority 1B vaccine qualifiers—schools, law enforcement agencies, courts—to receive vaccines during the day’s unfilled appointment times.
The health department also announced they’re in the process of expanding TCC vaccine appointments to those older than 75. This population was originally restricted to vaccines at the Banner or Tucson Medical Center sites so that a medical setting would be nearby to aid in any complications with adverse reactions to the vaccine.
Statement about TCC vaccinations Pima County and the City of Tucson, Arizona continue to struggle through a scheduling...
Posted by Pima County Health Department on Thursday, February 4, 2021
“Since reactions have been extremely rare, PCHD has re-evaluated the hospital proximity requirement and is eliminating this appointment restriction and allowing 75+ people to schedule appointments at the TCC and possibly the UA,” the health department announced in a written statement, adding the University of Arizona site is still under consideration and remains reserved for educators.
The health department said there are occasionally leftover doses at the TCC POD, and some people 65 and older received the doses to prevent them from going to waste.
“To prevent wasting those doses, TCC has been vaccinating people who had learned from Social Media that they could hang around the TCC late in the day and they might be able get vaccinated,” the department said.
While speculation has circulated on social media that the 65+ population is now eligible for the vaccine, the county health department emphasizes this is false.
“We’re sorry for the confusion about who can get vaccinated at the TCC, however the ultimate goal of the county is to get as many people vaccinated in the current priority groups as fast as possible so we can move on to the next priority group,” the health department said. “Making sure as many people as possible in the 1B priority groups could get shots at the TCC helps achieve that goal.”
On Thursday, however, Pima County said TCC’s “line has gotten so long” that it will allow those over 70 to receive vaccines, while those under 70 will be turned away.
Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients of those over 75, educators and protective service workers can register for a vaccine at pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.
WASHINGTON – Six Arizona mayors were among hundreds who urged Congress to pass a $1.9 trillion pandemic-relief bill that includes $350 billion in aid for state and local governments who say they are on the front lines of the crisis.
Republicans in the House and Senate have said they want to approve COVID-19 relief but pushed back against what Rep. David Schweikert, R-Fountain Hills, called the “stunning amounts of money” in the bill – including the money for local governments.
But Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, one of 402 who signed on to the U.S. Conference of Mayors' letter last week, said the money is needed for cities and states who he called “the foot soldiers” of the fight against the pandemic.
“We are on the ground with all of the fallout and effects of the pandemic. Our number one role as a city is to be sure that there are no gaps in service,” Ortega said. Along with Ortega, mayors of Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Mesa and Glendale also signed the letter.
With 4,417 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 771,000 as of Thursday, Feb. 4, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 736 new cases today, has seen 103,448 of the state’s 771,796 confirmed cases.
With 176 new deaths reported today, a total number of 13,752 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 1,868 deaths in Pima County, according to the Feb. 4 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide has declined in recent weeks, with 3,303 in the hospital as of Feb. 3. That number peaked at 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 1,633 people visited emergency rooms on Feb. 3 with COVID symptoms, down from 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 946 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Feb. 3, down from a peak of 1,183 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.
How to get a vaccine
Currently, Pima County is providing vaccination shots to people 75 and older as well as educators, first responders and healthcare workers. Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.
Health officials worry Super Bowl could be super spreader
While COVID-19 cases have declined for the second week in a row, the top clinical leader of Arizona’s largest hospital system warns the state’s medical facilities remain overloaded.
Banner Health’s Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel said 44% of Arizona’s hospitalized patients have COVID-19 while 60% of ICU hospitalizations are for coronavirus patients.
The state’s seven-day average positivity rate for the virus is at 16%, according to Bessel. While this is lower than the peak of Arizona’s winter surge, health experts say communities should maintain a rate below 5%.
Bessel said the cause for the decline in cases is “multifactorial.” The holiday season of large gatherings is over, and the natural trends of any pandemic contain surges and declines.
But with the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, Banner’s leader warns everyone to continue to avoid large gatherings to prevent another COVID-19 spike.
“Any gathering of individuals with whom you don't live with offers the opportunity for spread to occur. When you're with others that you don't live with, wear your mask appropriately and certainly do not go out and gather with individuals if you are not feeling well,” Bessel said. “We hope that everybody can take appropriate precautions so that we do not have another spike post this upcoming Super Bowl Sunday, like we did after Christmas, for instance.”
Banner to expand elective surgeries
On Jan. 22, Bessel announced Banner will resume some outpatient surgeries and procedures that require no more than a one-night stay and no ICU care would resume.
As of Feb. 1, Banner hospitals expanded these criteria to include all outpatient surgeries and inpatient surgeries that require no more than three nights stay in a regular inpatient bed or one night’s stay in the ICU. However, the ultimate decision to conduct a surgery will depend on conditions at each facility.
While hospitals continue to be inundated with COVID-19 patients, the backlog of delayed surgeries makes conditions even busier.
More contagious COVID-19 variant identified in Arizona
Although COVID-19 cases are declining, the emergence of the virus’ more contiguous mutations could cause a worsening spread in the future.
Coronavirus variants from the UK, South Africa and Brazil have been discovered in the U.S. In Arizona, at least three test samples have come back positive for the presence of the UK variant, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Bessel said the vaccine may not work as well against the variants as the original coronavirus, but the current COVID-19 vaccines still provide protection.
“While research is ongoing, vaccines appear to be less effective against this variant, though still within the protective range and are highly recommended,” she said. “There's still a lot unknown about the COVID variant and what it will do to the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. For this reason, we continue to stress when it's your turn to get your vaccine, please get vaccinated.”
Vaccine available now in Marana and Oro Valley area
MHC Healthcare is currently scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for those above 75 in the Marana and Oro Valley areas.
On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, appointments will take place at MHC Healthcare Marana Main Health Center at 13395 N. Marana Main St.
Beginning this week, vaccinations will take place every Thursday at the James D. Kriegh Park at 23 W Calle Concordia in Oro Valley.
Appointments will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and residents of Oro Valley, Marana, Dove Mountain, Catalina, Avra Valley, Picture Rocks and Summer Haven can register at mhchealthcare.org.
Vaccinations at both locations will be administered in a drive-thru setting using the Moderna vaccine.
As of Monday, MHC had received 2,300 vaccines from the Pima County Health Department and administered 1,714.
Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing
Pima County offers a number of testing centers around town.
You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center (2805 E. Ajo Way) the Udall Center (7200 E. Tanque Verde Road) and downtown (88 E. Broadway).
The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.
In addition, the Pima County Health Department, Pima Community College and Arizona State University have partnered to create new drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites at three Pima Community College locations. At the drive-thru sites, COVID-19 testing will be offered through spit samples instead of nasal canal swabs. Each site will conduct testing from 9 a.m. to noon, and registration is required in advance. Only patients 5 years or older can be tested.
Schedule an appointment at these or other pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.
The University of Arizona’s antibody testing has been opened to all Arizonans as the state attempts to get a handle on how many people have been exposed to COVID-19 but were asymptomatic or otherwise did not get a test while they were ill. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.
—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Jeff Gardner, Nicole Ludden and Mike Truelsen
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
While COVID-19 cases have declined for the second week in a row, the top clinical leader of Arizona’s largest hospital system warns the state’s medical facilities remain overloaded.
Banner Health’s Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel said 44% of Arizona’s hospitalized patients have COVID-19 while 60% of ICU hospitalizations are for coronavirus patients.
The state’s seven-day average positivity rate for the virus is at 16%, according to Bessel. While this is lower than the peak of Arizona’s winter surge, health experts say communities should maintain a rate below 5%.
Bessel said the cause for the decline in cases is “multifactorial.” The holiday season of large gatherings is over, and the natural trends of any pandemic contain surges and declines.
But with the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, Banner’s leader warns everyone to continue to avoid large gatherings to prevent another COVID-19 spike.
“Any gathering of individuals with whom you don't live with offers the opportunity for spread to occur. When you're with others that you don't live with, wear your mask appropriately and certainly do not go out and gather with individuals if you are not feeling well,” Bessel said. “We hope that everybody can take appropriate precautions so that we do not have another spike post this upcoming Super Bowl Sunday, like we did after Christmas, for instance.”
Banner to expand elective surgeries
On Jan. 22, Bessel announced Banner will resume some outpatient surgeries and procedures that require no more than a one-night stay and no ICU care would resume.
As of Feb. 1, Banner hospitals expanded these criteria to include all outpatient surgeries and inpatient surgeries that require no more than three nights stay in a regular inpatient bed or one night’s stay in the ICU. However, the ultimate decision to conduct a surgery will depend on conditions at each facility.
With 2,296 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases surpassed 767,000 as of Wednesday, Feb. 3, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 392 new cases today, has seen 102,712 of the state’s 767,379 confirmed cases.
A total number of 13,576 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 1,831 deaths in Pima County, according to the Feb. 3 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide has declined in recent weeks, with 3,456 in the hospital as of Feb. 2. That number peaked at 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 1,639 people visited emergency rooms on Feb. 2 with COVID symptoms, down from 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 955 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Feb. 2, down from a peak of 1,183 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.
How to get a vaccine
Currently, Pima County is providing vaccination shots to people 75 and older as well as educators, first responders and healthcare workers. Those who currently qualify in Pima County’s 1B priority group of eligible vaccine recipients can register for a vaccine at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.
State preparing to set up a 24-hour vaccination site in Pima County
After some communication troubles between Pima County and the state, Arizona Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ said plans are in the works to set up a 24-hour vaccination site in the county.
Although County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has requested the state’s help in setting up a 24-hour point of distribution site at Rillito Park, it’s not clear where the state-run site would be set up.
Christ wrote in a letter to Huckelberry on Jan. 29 that “ADHS will work with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) to select the vaccination site and discuss logistics.”
If the state sets up the POD, the vaccines supplying it would be taken out of Pima County’s total state allocation.
As of Tuesday, the state’s allocated Pima County 165,950 doses, and the county has administered 119,585 vaccines.
“Any remaining doses of vaccine will be passed on to the county for further allocation. We will notify the Pima County Health Department once details are finalized,” Christ wrote in the letter.
Huckelberry responded to the letter on Monday requesting the state follow Pima County’s accelerated vaccination plan to ensure those most vulnerable to COVID-19 receive vaccines first and that “disadvantaged populations” have equal access to vaccinations. More details here.
Vaccinations continue in Pima County
Pima County has administered 114,165 COVID-19 vaccines as of Feb. 1 but has only completed 18,691 series of the two doses needed to be fully immunized.
This week, the county’s vaccine allocation from the state rose to 165,950, up from 140,425 doses last week, according to Arizona Department of Health Services data.
While Pima County struggles to vaccinate nearly 150,000 currently eligible—the 75+ population, educators, childcare providers and protective service workers—Maricopa County’s two 24-hour state-run PODS are receiving nearly 35,000 doses more than the entirety of Pima County, according to data from ADHS.
The two PODs—one at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale that opened on Jan. 11 and a second at the Phoenix Municipal Stadium on that opened Monday—have been allocated 200,850 vaccine doses.
Maricopa County has been allocated 461,375 vaccines on top of its state-run PODs and has administered 297,469 doses as of Monday.
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry made the case for allocating more vaccines to Pima County in a Jan. 29 memo.
“While population is one measure, another measure would be the percent of the population that is more vulnerable to COVID-19 than other population components within the County,” he wrote.
The county administrator compared racial groups, individuals over 65, those living below the federal poverty level and those in the state’s Medicaid program in Pima and Maricopa counties. These populations are expected to be most impacted by the pandemic.
Of Pima County’s population, 38% are Hispanic, 20% are above age 65, 14% live below the poverty level and 31% are enrolled in Arizona’s Medicaid program, according to the memo.
In Maricopa County, 31% are Hispanic, 16% are above 65, 12% live below the poverty level and 28% are enrolled in state Medicaid.
Despite struggling for the county’s fair share of vaccines, Huckelberry also announced the next group to be eligible for the vaccine, those over 65, could be able to register for vaccines by “early February.”
After working out the many kinks of the county’s registration site, Huckelberry now believes the website will be able to handle the surge of new registrants. More details here.
Vaccine available now in Marana and Oro Valley area
MHC Healthcare is currently scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for those above 75 in the Marana and Oro Valley areas.
On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, appointments will take place at MHC Healthcare Marana Main Health Center at 13395 N. Marana Main St.
Beginning this week, vaccinations will take place every Thursday at the James D. Kriegh Park at 23 W Calle Concordia in Oro Valley.
Appointments will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and residents of Oro Valley, Marana, Dove Mountain, Catalina, Avra Valley, Picture Rocks and Summer Haven can register at mhchealthcare.org.
Vaccinations at both locations will be administered in a drive-thru setting using the Moderna vaccine.
As of Monday, MHC had received 2,300 vaccines from the Pima County Health Department and administered 1,714.
Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing
Pima County offers a number of testing centers around town.
You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Kino Event Center (2805 E. Ajo Way) the Udall Center (7200 E. Tanque Verde Road) and downtown (88 E. Broadway).
The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.
In addition, the Pima County Health Department, Pima Community College and Arizona State University have partnered to create new drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites at three Pima Community College locations. At the drive-thru sites, COVID-19 testing will be offered through spit samples instead of nasal canal swabs. Each site will conduct testing from 9 a.m. to noon, and registration is required in advance. Only patients 5 years or older can be tested.
Schedule an appointment at these or other pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.
The University of Arizona’s antibody testing has been opened to all Arizonans as the state attempts to get a handle on how many people have been exposed to COVID-19 but were asymptomatic or otherwise did not get a test while they were ill. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.
—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Jeff Gardner, Nicole Ludden and Mike Truelsen
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
MHC Healthcare is currently scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for those above 75 in the Marana and Oro Valley areas.
On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, appointments will take place at MHC Healthcare Marana Main Health Center at 13395 N. Marana Main St.
Beginning this week, vaccinations will take place every Thursday at the James D. Kriegh Park at 23 W Calle Concordia in Oro Valley.
Appointments will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and residents of Oro Valley, Marana, Dove Mountain, Catalina, Avra Valley, Picture Rocks and Summer Haven can register at mhchealthcare.org.
Vaccinations at both locations will be administered in a drive-thru setting using the Moderna vaccine.
As of Monday, MHC had received 2,300 vaccines from the Pima County Health Department and administered 1,714.
