Friday, December 18, 2020
Banner Health’s Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Marjorie Bessel shared alarming news of the spread of COVID-19 throughout the state at a press conference today despite the hopeful news of the vaccine’s arrival in Arizona.
Bessel remains concerned as the state continues to experience an “exponential growth” of coronavirus with case counts, positivity rates and hospitalizations all increasing.
As the top clinical leader of Arizona’s largest hospital system that’s providing care for almost half of the state’s hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Bessel worries about the continuing surge of the virus, especially during the holiday season.
Within the first two weeks of December, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state have increased by 93%. This is the same rate experienced throughout the entire month of November, Bessel shared.
According to the chief clinical officer, coronavirus patients comprise 49% of all Banner’s hospitalized patients and 55% of ICU beds. That represents 150% of the hospitals’ peak in a pandemic-free winter season.
Bessel said Banner is also seeing increased deaths from COVID-19, causing the morgues at some hospitals to become so overwhelmed that bodies are being placed in refrigerated trucks.
Closely following guidance from the White House coronavirus task force, Bessel highlighted that Arizona is experiencing a “full resurgence” as it did in its summer surge in cases, but it lacks the mitigation necessary to suppress it.
Bessel expressed support for allowing local authorities to implement mitigation protocols like Tucson and Pima County have done through mandatory curfews and mask mandates.
“We've seen recent actions, as an example, by the mayor of Tucson, Pima County, the mayor of Phoenix and the Phoenix City Council, giving local mayors authority to take mitigation steps and help the state of Arizona's health care system reduce COVID-19 cases in our hospital, which in turn helps all of us by ensuring that the health care we or our families may require will be there in our time of need,” she said.
In a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Doug Ducey made clear he isn’t implementing any further statewide mitigation guidelines as the virus rages through Arizona.
With more than 7,600 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 442,000 as of Friday, Dec. 18, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 1,449 new cases today, has seen 57,250 of the state’s 442,671 confirmed cases.
With 142 new deaths reported today, a total of 7,819 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 875 deaths in Pima County, according to the Dec. 18 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide continues to soar as the virus has begun to spread more rapidly, putting stress on Arizona’s hospitals and surpassing July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Dec. 17, 3,931 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, setting a new record. The previous peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients was set on July 13; that number hit a subsequent low of 468 on Sept. 27.
A total of 2,027 people visited emergency rooms on Dec. 17 with COVID symptoms. That number, which hit a new record of 2,166 last week, had previously peaked at 2,008 on July 7; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28.
A total of 915 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Dec. 17. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13 and hit a subsequent low of 114 on Sept. 22.
Pima County under curfew
Pima County's voluntary curfew has now become mandatory.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to instate a mandatory 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew throughout the county in an attempt to combat Southern Arizona's rising number of coronavirus cases.
Supervisor Steve Christy and outgoing Supervisor Ally Miller, who attended her last board meeting this week, voted against the proposal.
Penalties for a nonessential business found violating curfew range from having their business permit suspended or revoked.
The mandatory curfew will stay in place until coronavirus infection rates drop below 100 per 100,000 people, according to county officials.
The transmission rate in Pima County was 357 people per 100,000 people in the two-week period ending Nov. 29, but Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen expects that number to be significantly higher for the period ending Dec. 13.
The mandatory curfew comes as through the first two weeks of December, COVID-19 cases in the county reached 13,589—2,554 more cases than reported in all of November. Last week saw 70 coronavirus deaths, according to a memorandum from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
WASHINGTON – A deadly epidemic has been on the rise this year in Arizona – but this one has drawn scant media attention.
With the world focused on COVID-19, local and national experts say a growing number of opioid overdoses and deaths is being overlooked.
“COVID-19 has taken up a lot of our space, but oftentimes it’s the way of the world,” said Maya Tatum, secretary of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy board of directors. “It takes over people’s minds and people forget.”
And, they fear, that increase may be driven in part by the upheaval the coronavirus has caused to lives and our livelihoods.
According to data collected by the Arizona Department of Health Services, verified opioid overdoses jumped from 375 in February to 479 in March, the height of pandemic-related restrictions on business and travel. At the time, it was the highest monthly number of confirmed overdoses since the state began monthly tracking in June 2017. Confirmed opioid overdoses have since risen to peak at 500 in August, before starting to move back down.
“When you restrict activities, when you isolate people, when people lose their employment, this has major effects on mental health,” said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, assistant secretary for mental health and substance use with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“For people who have substance problems, it can make them worse. For people who don’t have substance problems, it may initiate the use of substances,” she said.
It’s not just an Arizona problem: McCance-Katz and others said the same increase in overdoses has been seen nationally this year. And they may continue to increase as days go by, especially with some people being isolated in their homes, she said.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
On Thursday, Dec. 17, Banner University Medical Center and Tucson Medical Center began the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations in Pima County. While a small number of test vaccinations were injected earlier this week, today marks the official beginning of the Pima County Health Department’s three-phase plan, beginning with frontline workers.
At Banner University’s northside campus, Iris Delfakis, a nurse at the University of Arizona’s Cancer Center, volunteered to receive the first injection.
“I’m all for it,” Delfakis said. “I know there are some against the vaccine, but I think everyone should get it. We’ve never seen something like COVID in our lifetimes.”
According to Rebecca Ruiz-McGill, information specialist for Banner UMC, the medical center needs to “walk before we run,” with vaccine administrations. Because COVID-19 testing involves similar logistics, Banner expects its vaccine process to be in full order within a week or two. By the end of the month, they expect to be administering more than 100 vaccines per day.
Banner’s vaccine station was in its parking garage and saw several hospital staff in its first hour. Among the staff was Dr. Melissa Zukowski, who works in Banner's Department of Emergency Medicine and was prioritized for vaccination because she works in a COVID unit. Those who receive their vaccine will need to receive a second booster injection three weeks after their first.
With more than 5,800 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 435,000 as of Thursday, Dec. 17, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 711 new cases today, has seen 55,801 of the state’s 435,036 confirmed cases.
With 147 new deaths reported today, a total of 7,677 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 853 deaths in Pima County, according to the Dec. 17 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide continues to soar upward as the virus has begun to spread more rapidly, putting stress on Arizona’s hospitals and surpassing July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Dec. 16, 3,884 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, setting a new record. The previous peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients was set on July 13; that number hit a subsequent low of 468 on Sept. 27.
A total of 1,920 people visited emergency rooms on Dec. 16 with COVID symptoms. That number, which hit a new record of 2,166 last week, had previously peaked at 2,008 on July 7; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28.
A total of 899 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Dec. 16. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13 and hit a subsequent low of 114 on Sept. 22.
Pima County under curfew
Pima County's voluntary curfew has now become mandatory.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to instate a mandatory 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew throughout the county in an attempt to combat Southern Arizona's rising number of coronavirus cases.
Supervisor Steve Christy and outgoing Supervisor Ally Miller, who attended her last board meeting this week, voted against the proposal.
Penalties for a nonessential business found violating curfew range from having their business permit suspended or revoked.
The mandatory curfew will stay in place until coronavirus infection rates drop below 100 per 100,000 people, according to county officials.
The transmission rate in Pima County was 357 people per 100,000 people in the two-week period ending Nov. 29, but Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen expects that number to be significantly higher for the period ending Dec. 13.
The mandatory curfew comes as through the first two weeks of December, COVID-19 cases in the county reached 13,589—2,554 more cases than reported in all of November. Last week saw 70 coronavirus deaths, according to a memorandum from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Gov. Doug Ducey praised the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona at a news conference Wednesday as the substantial spread of the virus rages through the state.
Ducey said 10 healthcare workers, including the Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services Dr. Cara Christ, will be the first people in Arizona to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine later today.
In Pima County, healthcare workers will be able to receive the vaccine at Tucson Medical Center and Banner University Medical Center Thursday.
Vaccine implementation will be phased out with healthcare workers, residents in long-term care facilities and the most vulnerable to COVID-19 receiving the first doses.
The governor said citizens should trust the vaccine the same way the esteemed medical professionals who will be first to take it do.
“[Christ’s] confidence in the vaccine should give all of us confidence in the vaccine,” Ducey said.
According to Ducey, he won’t “skip the line” and will only take the vaccine when the group he falls under in Arizona’s vaccine implementation plan is cleared to do so.
“But when it's my turn, my sleeve will be rolled up and it will be administered,” he said.
Christ shared alarming metrics at the press conference, such as a growing 18% positivity rating of coronavirus for the week of Dec. 6 and 429,219 total cases reported to date in Arizona. COVID-like illness is also increasing, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients.
In response, the governor announced a disbursement of $15 million to the Department of Health Services to “replenish” the state’s emergency fund and purchase more resources to combat the virus, the governor said.
Although COVID-19 cases are surging and hospitals are inundated with coronavirus patients, Ducey doesn’t plan on creating further statewide mitigation to slow the spread despite many appeals from public health officials to do so.
“This just goes to prove that when there is substantial community spread of the virus like we’re experiencing now throughout the county, the virus can get into your homes and places of work any number of ways no matter how vigilant you are being with your precautions,” said County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco Garcia in a press release today.
County investigators are currently working on contact tracing for the source of the outbreak. However, PCHD admits contact tracing will be difficult after dozens of people, many of whom were not wearing masks, entered their building on Dec. 10 to protest recent COVID-19 protection and enforcement actions by the health department.
Cullen is one of more than 300 of the nearly 7,000 Pima County employees who’ve tested positive for coronavirus since February, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry shared with the Board of Supervisors this week. Nearly 60 county employees tested positive in the last two weeks alone, the release says.
“The effects of this outbreak at the Health Department will be a significant challenge but it is one we are able to handle,” Garcia said in a prepared statement. “We have redundant capacity in staffing and facilities, and this will not affect our ability to continue to our mission protecting public health or the Health Department’s vital role in the struggle to control and end the spread of COVID-19 in Pima County.”
As of Dec. 15, COVID-19 cases in the county had reached 13,589—2,554 more cases than reported in all of November. Last week saw 70 coronavirus deaths, according to a memorandum from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
With more than 4,800 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 429,000 as of Wednesday, Dec. 16, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 711 new cases today, has seen 54,957 of the state’s 429,219 confirmed cases.
With 108 new deaths reported today, a total of 7,530 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 836 deaths in Pima County, according to the Dec. 16 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases statewide continues to soar upward as the virus has begun to spread more rapidly, putting stress on Arizona’s hospitals and surpassing July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Dec. 15, 3,809 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, setting a new record. The previous peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients was set on July 13; that number hit a subsequent low of 468 on Sept. 27.
A total of 1,856 people visited emergency rooms on Dec. 15 with COVID symptoms. That number, which hit a new record of 2,166 last week, had previously peaked at 2,008 on July 7; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28.
A total of 882 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Dec. 15. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13 and hit a subsequent low of 114 on Sept. 22.
Pima County under curfew
Pima County's voluntary curfew has now become mandatory.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 yesterday to instate a mandatory 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew throughout the county in an attempt to combat Southern Arizona's rising number of coronavirus cases.
Supervisor Steve Christy and outgoing Supervisor Ally Miller, who attended her last board meeting yesterday, voted against the proposal.
Penalties for a nonessential business found violating curfew range from having their business permit suspended or revoked.
The mandatory curfew will stay in place until coronavirus infection rates drop below 100 per 100,000 people, according to county officials.
The transmission rate in Pima County was 357 people per 100,000 people in the two-week period ending Nov. 29, but Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen expects that number to be significantly higher for the period ending Dec. 13.
The mandatory curfew comes as in December alone, COVID-19 cases in the county have reached 13,589—2,554 more cases than reported in all of November. Last week saw 70 coronavirus deaths, according to a memorandum from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
While businesses will now face losing their operating permits if they don't comply with the curfew, it "carries no penalty associated with the individual, as it would be difficult to enforce a curfew against individuals without the cooperation of law enforcement," Huckelberry writes in the memo.
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to instate a mandatory 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew throughout the county in an attempt to combat Southern Arizona's rising number of coronavirus cases.
Supervisor Steve Christy and outgoing Supervisor Ally Miller, who attended her last board meeting today, voted against the proposal.
Penalties for a nonessential business found violating curfew range from having their business permit suspended or revoked.
The mandatory curfew will stay in place until coronavirus infection rates drop below 100 per 100,000 people, according to county officials.
The transmission rate in Pima County was 357 people per 100,000 people in the two-week period ending Nov. 29, but Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen expects that number to be significantly higher for the period ending Dec. 13.
The mandatory curfew comes as in December alone, COVID-19 cases in the county have reached 13,589—2,554 more cases than reported in all of November. Last week saw 70 coronavirus deaths, according to a memorandum from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.
According to the memo, county personnel observed facilities for compliance to safety mitigations, including the previously voluntary curfew, on Dec. 11 and 12.
Of the nearly 400 locations observed, 15% were "seriously noncompliant," the memo says.
While businesses will now face losing their operating permits if they don't comply with the curfew, it "carries no penalty associated with the individual, as it would be difficult to enforce a curfew against individuals without the cooperation of law enforcement," Huckelberry writes in the memo.
Exceptions include:
Emergency response personnel
Traveling to and from work
Attending religious services
Caring for a family member
Seeking medical care
Fleeing dangerous circumstances
Traveling to perform or receive essential functions
This article has been updated with contributions from Nicole Ludden.
