Monday, October 12, 2020
The University of Arizona will allow students to attend in-person classes of 30 students or fewer this week, UA President Robert C. Robbins said in a news conference Monday, Oct. 12.
The change will bring 1,500 more students to campus every week, and classes will continue “if and only if” public health data gauging the spread of coronavirus in the county permits, Robbins said.
The university first predicted 2,500 students would return to class as it moves into Phase 2 of its reopening plan, but fewer students wanted to return than expected.
“Students and their instructors had the opportunity to evaluate what they wanted, and in the spirit of shared governance, make collective decisions about how to proceed at this point,” Robbins said. “There are many, many students who want that in-person interaction . . . but obviously, there are people who don’t want it.”
From Oct. 1-10, UA found 42 positive coronavirus cases after administering 6,963 tests for a positivity rate of 0.6%, down from 2.3% in the previous 10-day period.
“What we’ve been able to show over the last two, four weeks . . . is an ability of how we respond,” Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen said at the press conference. “We’ve developed this deep collaboration, transparency, sharing of data, sharing resources and a recognition that working together is required for us to combat this pandemic.”
During the past week, the university’s CART team, a collaboration with the UA and Tucson police departments that looks for incidents of noncompliance to COVID-19 precautions, issued five university-related red tags, seven citations and eight code-of-conduct referrals.
Robbins said nine parties CART responded to had more than 10 people, while three parties had about 50.
“It’s important that more and more, we see less and less of these large gatherings, which really are events that you might even term super spreader events when they become too large,” said Richard Carmona, UA Reentry Task Force Director.
Robbins said the university has no recorded cases of COVID-19 transmission within a classroom or laboratory setting.
With six weeks left in UA’s fall semester, the administration is looking ahead to potential coronavirus-spreading events. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and many students have traveling plans during fall break.
“We’re working hard to prevent an uptick in positive cases, in part because it could impact positive rates as students are preparing to travel home for the fall break,” Robbins said.
Robbins outlined steps the university is asking students to take to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which include requiring all main campus students to complete a survey with their fall break traveling plans.
UA will also conduct a “testing blitz” from Nov. 9-15, and those who test positive will be required to quarantine for 10 days. Students are also “strongly encouraged” to complete the semester remotely if they travel.
Robbins said a “small number” will be allowed to travel and return to campus in-person, and students will be able to stay on campus during the fall break to access the university’s WiFi.
“We are all happy that all the processes we’ve put in place have resulted in these changes,” Carmona said. “But we still aren’t happy enough to not be very aggressive and continue these processes to keep those numbers down.”
With 475 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 226,000 as of Monday, Oct. 12, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 26,465 of the state’s 226,050 confirmed cases.
A total of 5,759 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 633 deaths in Pima County, according to the Oct. 12 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline from July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Oct. 11, 667 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state. That number peaked with 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients on July 13.
A total of 710 people visited emergency rooms on Oct. 11 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 155 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Oct. 11. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
On a week-by-week basis in Pima County, the number of positive COVID tests peaked the week ending July 4 with 2,453 cases, according to an Oct. 7 report from the Pima County Health Department. With the return of UA students, local numbers ticked upward in September but have begun to decline again. For the week ending Sept. 5, a total of 863 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 12, 1,105 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 19, 1,219 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 26, 582 cases were reported; for the week ending Oct. 3, 472 cases were reported. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Deaths in Pima County are down from a peak of 54 in the week ending July 4 to 10 in the week ending Sept. 5, one in the week ending Sept. 12, three in the week ending Sept. 19, two in the week ending Sept. 26 and one in the week ending Oct. 3. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Hospitalization peaked the week ending July 18 with 221 COVID patients admitted to Pima County hospitals. In the week ending Aug. 29, 37 COVID patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 5, 26 patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 12, 23 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 19, 14 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 26, 11 people were admitted and in the week ending Oct. 3, 17 patients were admitted. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Amphi School District begins in-person classes today
The Amphi School District will start hybrid learning with in-classroom instruction starting today.
Students will attend smaller classes two days a week and learn remotely three days a week.
While Public Brewhouse offered a wide variety of beers from seasonal stouts to Sonoran sours, they also carved out a niche for themselves with trivia nights, board games and live music.
“Our name, Public, comes from the idea that a pub is a public house. We really wanted to create an environment people feel comfortable coming into," head brewer Mike Gura previously told the Tucson Weekly.
Shortly before the pandemic hit, Public Brewhouse expanded in February with a sister location, Public Taphouse at 6720 E. Camino Principal, which remains on COVID hiatus.
Friday, October 9, 2020
PHOENIX – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris, on their first trip to Arizona, dropped by a union hall Thursday and several small businesses they say need federal relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their bus tour, which began in Flagstaff, included an outdoor stop at Barrio Cafe, a central Phoenix staple known nationally for its Mexican cuisine.
Small business owners, particularly in Phoenix, are “busting their necks,” Biden said – and that didn’t have to happen.
“Too many Arizonans are facing hard times right now,” Biden earlier told supporters at a labor union hall in west Phoenix. “They’re trying their best, but it never feels like it’s enough. You’re not looking out for a handout, you’re just looking for a fair shot.”
Thursday, October 8, 2020
With 863 new cases reported today, the number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases closed in on 223,000 as of Thursday, Oct. 8, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
With 125 new cases today, Pima County had seen 26,217 of the state’s 223,401 confirmed cases.
With 10 new deaths today, a total of 5,743 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 630 deaths in Pima County, according to the Oct. 8 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline from July peaks but has steadily creeped upward this week. ADHS reported that as of Oct. 7, 728 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, an increase of . While that number has increased by 183 since Saturday, Oct. 3, it’s still far below the peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients set on July 13.
A total of 744 people visited emergency rooms on Oct. 7 with COVID symptoms. That number, which peaked at 2,008 on July 7, has also been on the rise this week.
A total of 156 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Oct. 7, up from 133 on Saturday, Oct. 3. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
On a week-by-week basis in Pima County, the number of positive COVID tests peaked the week ending July 4 with 2,453 cases, according to an Oct. 7 report from the Pima County Health Department. With the return of UA students, local numbers ticked upward in September but have begun to decline again. For the week ending Sept. 5, a total of 863 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 12, 1,105 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 19, 1,219 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 26, 582 cases were reported; for the week ending Oct. 3, 472 cases were reported. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Deaths in Pima County are down from a peak of 54 in the week ending July 4 to 10 in the week ending Sept. 5, one in the week ending Sept. 12, three in the week ending Sept. 19, two in the week ending Sept. 26 and one in the week ending Oct. 3. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Hospitalization peaked the week ending July 18 with 221 COVID patients admitted to Pima County hospitals. In the week ending Aug. 29, 37 COVID patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 5, 26 patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 12, 23 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 19, 14 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 26, 11 people were admitted and in the week ending Oct. 3, 17 patients were admitted. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
CDC report supports use of masks, physical distancing
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examines how effective Arizona’s mitigation measures were on stopping the increase of COVID-19. The report, which tracked case numbers from Jan. 22 to Aug. 7, shows a clear correlation in reduced virus cases after face masks and social distancing were mandated.
In Arizona, the average number of daily virus cases increased approximately 151% after the statewide stay-at-home order was lifted in mid-May, with Gov. Doug Ducey declaring “we are clearly on the other side of this pandemic.”
According to CDC data, two weeks after Arizona's stay-at-home orders were first lifted on May 15, daily new COVID cases increased from 808 on June 1 to 2,026 on June 15. This led to a peak in cases from June 29 to July 2. Cases then began to reduce after Ducey allowed local officials to implement their own mandates on June 17. The ensuing local policies were applicable to approximately 85% of the total Arizona population.
PHOENIX – La Palma Correctional Center, a privately run immigration detention center in Eloy, is facing an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases among immigration detainees.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed the first case of COVID-19 at the La Palma Correctional Center on April 6. On May 30, at least 76 undocumented immigrants tested positive for COVID-19. As of Oct. 4, ICE reported 400 cases. Those numbers are the highest of active COVID-19 cases at any federal immigration facility in the nation, followed by Atlanta Field Office Stewart Detention Center with 360.
Dulce Granados of Phoenix said her husband has been detained at La Palma for more than two years, and she fears he could get infected by the novel coronavirus that causes the deadly disease.
“This whole virus thing is a difficult situation because they have people in quarantine there,” Granados said. “They are mixed with the people who tested negative, with people who tested positive.”
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
TUSD Delays Return to In-Person Instruction Until November (at the Soonest), Unveils New Hybrid Plan
The Tucson Unified School District’s governing board approved a new hybrid learning model for returning to classes but delayed voting on when to implement it.
In a 4-1 vote, the board approved the new model but put off deciding on a return date until the next TUSD board meeting Oct. 27.
Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo asked board members to consider a new start date for the revised hybrid model on Nov. 12, dependent on Pima County data tracking the spread of coronavirus in the county.
To move to the hybrid model, TUSD must meet criteria from Pima County’s COVID-19 Progress Report, which tracks local disease data, healthcare capacity and public health capacity. As of Oct. 1, eight of the nine health criteria are making “progress” or have been officially “met.”
Pima County has not met the benchmark of a two-week decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, and therefore, the district does not currently meet guidelines set out by the Pima County Health Department to return to in-person classes.
Trujillo says this guideline hasn’t been met because of some TUSD schools’ proximity to the University of Arizona campus.
“TUSD is unique amongst the school districts in that we have six schools that are directly on the U of A campus or adjacent to it, so this is really close to home for us,” Trujillo said. “It’s the fact that the COVID-19 spike at the U of A has most influenced the movement backward of this key metric in the last two weeks that still does have me concerned.”
According to a survey taken by more than 20,000 parents and teachers within TUSD, 56% support remote learning only, while 44% support returning to classes with a hybrid model.
“This hybrid model places education utterly last on the list of priorities,” Cheryl Watters, a teacher and parent in the district said in an email read aloud at the board meeting. “Instead of teaching, I will be disinfecting my classrooms and monitoring my students to be sure they are complying with the safety protocols. I will now be responsible for the physical health of my students. How can I focus on teaching when I carry that weight?”
Vicki Saunders, an office assistant at Rincon High School, wrote, “I’m strongly in favor of moving to a hybrid model on Oct. 19, because our students are asking to return and begging to return... We have so many students struggling academically, mentally and physically.”
Largely split on the decision of returning to schools, the TUSD board voted to delay the vote 3-2 with members Adelita Grijalva and Rachael Sedgwick opposing.
“If this item passes and we table this until [Oct.] 27, I would hope that on that date, we can have a real honest discussion about pushing this off and the majority of the board will make a decision then,” Grijalva said. “While I know that our teachers are in limbo and will feel it, I think that will give us an opportunity to get some breathing room.”
Sedgwick said delaying the vote will put a further burden on teachers who would have to quickly adapt their lesson plans to fit a new hybrid model.
“I think we understand how difficult it is to prepare a classroom for a school year with just two weeks’ notice, and for this board to continue to put this decision off is to make hundreds of thousands of people wait for our decision every two weeks,” Sedgwick said.
Trujillo mentioned many teachers’ concerns about adjusting to a hybrid model, but ultimately recognized that nearly half of survey respondents want in-person learning.
Pima County had seen 26,052 of the state’s 222,538 confirmed cases.
With 20 new deaths today, a total of 5,733 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, including 629 deaths in Pima County, according to the Oct. 7 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline from July peaks. ADHS reported that as of Oct. 6, 681 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state. While that number has creeped up by more than 100 since Sunday, it’s still far below the peak of 3,517 hospitalized COVID patients set on July 13.
A total of 728 people visited emergency rooms on Oct. 6 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 147 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on Oct. 6. The number of COVID patients in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
On a week-by-week basis in Pima County, the number of positive COVID tests peaked the week ending July 4 with 2,453 cases, according to an Oct. 5 report from the Pima County Health Department. With the return of UA students, local numbers ticked upward in September but have begun to decline again. For the week ending Sept. 5, a total of 867 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 12, 1,112 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 19, 1,222 cases were reported; for the week ending Sept. 26, 578 cases were reported; for the week ending Oct. 3, 397 cases were reported. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Deaths in Pima County are down from a peak of 54 in the week ending July 4 to 10 in the week ending Sept. 5, zero in the week ending Sept. 12, two in the week ending Sept. 19, two in the week ending Sept. 26 and 1 in the week ending Oct. 3. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
Hospitalization peaked the week ending July 18 with 234 COVID patients admitted to Pima County hospitals. In the week ending Aug. 29, 37 COVID patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 5, 23 patients were admitted to Pima County hospitals; in the week ending Sept. 12, 19 patients were admitted; in the week ending Sept. 19, 14 patients were admitted; and in the week ending Sept. 26, 11 people were admitted and in the week ending Oct. 3, 10 patients were admitted. (Recent weeks are subject to revision.)
TUSD delays return to in-person instruction
The Tucson Unified School District’s governing board approved a new hybrid learning model for returning to classes but delayed voting on when to implement it.
In a 4-1 vote, the board approved the new model but decided to delay voting on a return date until the next TUSD board meeting Oct. 27.
The district had previously planned on resuming a hybrid model of in-person classes with children attending classes on two days a week and working online at home three days a week on Monday, Oct. 19.
Tags: coronavirus , TUSD , in-person instruction , delay , case numbers , testing , covid-19 , Image
