Tuesday, August 11, 2020
A local jerk has become Twitter famous after a video of his anti-mask tantrum in a Tucson Sprouts was posted on social media yesterday. When you get to the point where you have to be carried out of a store by your kid because you won't wear a mask, you've hit rock bottom.Anti-masker in Tucson, AZ throws a tantrum and has to be carried out by his own son pic.twitter.com/ggo4I968aL
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) August 11, 2020
The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 188,000 as of Tuesday, Aug. 11, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 18,381 of the state’s 188,737 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,199 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 11 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 10, 1,574 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 949 people visited ERs on Aug. 10 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 510 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 10. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Vice President Mike Pence visits Tucson today
Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to make an appearance at La Paloma today.
Pence will receive an endorsement from the Arizona Association of Police in an event that C-SPAN will carry live at 11:30 a.m.
Pence will then travel to Mesa for another event.
Pima County had seen 18,381 of the state’s 188,737 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,199 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 11 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 10, 1,574 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 949 people visited ERs on Aug. 10 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 510 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 10. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Vice President Mike Pence visits Tucson today
Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to make an appearance at La Paloma today.
Pence will receive an endorsement from the Arizona Association of Police in an event that C-SPAN will carry live at 11:30 a.m.
Pence will then travel to Mesa for another event.
Monday, August 10, 2020
The latest police data show reported crimes fell in Phoenix and Tucson during the second quarter of the year, a period in which Arizonans were largely confined to their homes by the governor’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order.
But while property crimes in both cities fell, violent crime in Phoenix rose sharply in the quarter, driven largely by a 14.6% increase in aggravated assaults compared to the first three months of the year.
Tucson also saw a rise in aggravated assaults, but not large enough to offset the overall drop in other violent crimes – murders, rapes and robberies.
Michael Scott, a criminology professor at Arizona State University, said the increase likely reflects a “rising tide” of stress, frustration and anger among Arizonans during the pandemic.
“Because a high percentage of these crimes are between acquaintances, intimate partners or family members, the increase is most likely due to the added emotional stress and anger attributable to people being confined to their homes with one another, and from lost household income,” Scott said.
But while property crimes in both cities fell, violent crime in Phoenix rose sharply in the quarter, driven largely by a 14.6% increase in aggravated assaults compared to the first three months of the year.
Tucson also saw a rise in aggravated assaults, but not large enough to offset the overall drop in other violent crimes – murders, rapes and robberies.
Michael Scott, a criminology professor at Arizona State University, said the increase likely reflects a “rising tide” of stress, frustration and anger among Arizonans during the pandemic.
“Because a high percentage of these crimes are between acquaintances, intimate partners or family members, the increase is most likely due to the added emotional stress and anger attributable to people being confined to their homes with one another, and from lost household income,” Scott said.
The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 187,000 as of Monday, Aug. 10, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 17,996 of the state’s 187,523 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,154 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 10 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 9, 1,575 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 987 people visited ERs on Aug. 9 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 506 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 9. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Pima County launching pop-up COVID testing centers this week
The Pima County Health Department is rolling out new drive-thru COVID-19 testing events beginning next week that will be available in areas of the county that have had limited testing availability.
Through their partnership with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Pima County will offer a minimal contact testing operation for free at the following times and locations. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and can be completed at www.pima.gov/covid19testing.
Here’s a list of where the test sites will be available:
Pima County had seen 17,996 of the state’s 187,523 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,154 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 10 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 9, 1,575 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 987 people visited ERs on Aug. 9 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 506 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 9. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Pima County launching pop-up COVID testing centers this week
The Pima County Health Department is rolling out new drive-thru COVID-19 testing events beginning next week that will be available in areas of the county that have had limited testing availability.
Through their partnership with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Pima County will offer a minimal contact testing operation for free at the following times and locations. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and can be completed at www.pima.gov/covid19testing.
Here’s a list of where the test sites will be available:
Friday, August 7, 2020
- The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 185,000 as of Friday, Aug. 7, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- The Pima County Health Department today announced new drive-thru COVID-19 testing events beginning next week that will be available in areas of the county that have had limited testing availability.
- County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez had completed signature checks on the ballots that arrived by mail and had shipped them over to the Elections Department to tabulate them.
- The devil can’t stand mockery, as the adage goes, but fans of Fish Karma know humor can be used to overcome all manner of hardship.
- Arizona renters may have breathed a sigh of relief last month when Gov. Doug Ducey extended the state moratorium on residential evictions to Oct. 31.
WASHINGTON – Arizona renters may have breathed a sigh of relief last month when Gov. Doug Ducey extended the state moratorium on residential evictions to Oct. 31.
But for some of them, Oct. 31 could come as soon as later this month if they don’t act.
In his July 16 executive order, Ducey said that renters who wanted to defer a pending eviction have until Aug. 21 to notify their landlord in writing of a COVID-19 hardship and request a payment plan.
“After August 21, renters will need to provide their landlord or property owner a copy of their completed pending application for rental assistance through a state, city, county or nonprofit program” in order to defer eviction, the order says.
When Ducey announced the extension of the first residential eviction moratorium, state efforts to provide assistance to renters were lagging. Just 1,266 out of 18,784 applications for rental assistance had been approved at the time, an approval rate of 6.7%.
Those numbers have improved, but only marginally. By this week, three weeks after Ducey announced the extension, the number of approved applications had risen to 1,380, but the total number of applications had also risen, to 20,313, an approval rate that was just under 6.8%.
Applications for the Rental Eviction Prevention Assistance program are being processed by 11 community action agencies around the state, according to Janelle Johnsen, communications director for the Arizona Department of Housing.
But for some of them, Oct. 31 could come as soon as later this month if they don’t act.
In his July 16 executive order, Ducey said that renters who wanted to defer a pending eviction have until Aug. 21 to notify their landlord in writing of a COVID-19 hardship and request a payment plan.
“After August 21, renters will need to provide their landlord or property owner a copy of their completed pending application for rental assistance through a state, city, county or nonprofit program” in order to defer eviction, the order says.
When Ducey announced the extension of the first residential eviction moratorium, state efforts to provide assistance to renters were lagging. Just 1,266 out of 18,784 applications for rental assistance had been approved at the time, an approval rate of 6.7%.
Those numbers have improved, but only marginally. By this week, three weeks after Ducey announced the extension, the number of approved applications had risen to 1,380, but the total number of applications had also risen, to 20,313, an approval rate that was just under 6.8%.
Applications for the Rental Eviction Prevention Assistance program are being processed by 11 community action agencies around the state, according to Janelle Johnsen, communications director for the Arizona Department of Housing.
The Pima County Health Department today announced new drive-thru COVID-19 testing events beginning next week that will be available in areas of the county that have had limited testing availability.
Through their partnership with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, Pima County will offer a minimal contact testing operation for free at the following times and locations. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged and can be completed at www.pima.gov/covid19testing.
Ajo/Sells
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11
Ajo High School, 111 N. Well Road
Three Points
2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12
Robles Junction Community Center, 16150 W. Ajo Way
Marana/Picture Rocks
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13
Wheeler Taft Public Library, 7800 N. Schisler Drive
Green Valley/Sahuarita
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14
Green Valley Recreation Desert Hills Center, 2980 S. Camino Del Sol
Vail/Corona de Tucson
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15
Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road
Tags: COVID-19 , Coronavirus , Testing , Testing Site , Pop-Up Testing , Pima County , Image
The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 185,000 as of Friday, Aug. 7, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 17,497 of the state’s 185,053 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,081 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 7 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 6, 1,772 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 1,144 people visited ERs on Aug. 6 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 565 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 6. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Pima County and City of Tucson Open New COVID Testing Center
Pima County has teamed up with the City of Tucson to open a third testing center. The new center, which opens today, is at the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. Tests are available Tuesday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The new center, which requires a nasal swab, joins a similar facility at Kino Event Center, E. Ajo Way. A third center at the northside Ellie Towne Center, opened in conjunction with ASU, involves a saliva test. The centers offer easy-to-schedule appointments—often with same-day availability—and you get results in less than 72 hours.
Schedule an appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing.
The centers are also tied into Pima County’s developing contact tracing operation, which aims to be able to identify potential clusters and warn people if they have been in contact with someone who is COVID-positive.
If you’re interested in a test to determine if you’ve already had COVID-19, the UA has expanded a free COVID-19 antibody testing program to include 15 new categories of essential workers considered at high risk for exposure. The antibody test, developed by researchers at UA Health Sciences, determines who has been exposed to and developed an immune response against COVID-19.
In addition to healthcare workers and first responders, the test program is now open to educators, childcare workers, agriculture, grocery and foodservice workers, hospitality employees, solid-waste collection workers, transportation services workers and members of the National Guard. More information and registration for the test is available at covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu.
Pima County is also one of several regions in the country where a new COVID-19 vaccine is being tested. The National Institutes of Health is conducting phase 3 trials on a vaccine co-developed by Moderna, Inc. and the National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org or ClinicalTrials.gov and search identifier NCT04470427 to find a study center.
Pima County had seen 17,497 of the state’s 185,053 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,081 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 7 report.
The number of hospitalized COVID cases continues to decline. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 6, 1,772 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 1,144 people visited ERs on Aug. 6 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 565 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 6. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Pima County and City of Tucson Open New COVID Testing Center
Pima County has teamed up with the City of Tucson to open a third testing center. The new center, which opens today, is at the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. Tests are available Tuesday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The new center, which requires a nasal swab, joins a similar facility at Kino Event Center, E. Ajo Way. A third center at the northside Ellie Towne Center, opened in conjunction with ASU, involves a saliva test. The centers offer easy-to-schedule appointments—often with same-day availability—and you get results in less than 72 hours.
Schedule an appointment at pima.gov/covid19testing.
The centers are also tied into Pima County’s developing contact tracing operation, which aims to be able to identify potential clusters and warn people if they have been in contact with someone who is COVID-positive.
If you’re interested in a test to determine if you’ve already had COVID-19, the UA has expanded a free COVID-19 antibody testing program to include 15 new categories of essential workers considered at high risk for exposure. The antibody test, developed by researchers at UA Health Sciences, determines who has been exposed to and developed an immune response against COVID-19.
In addition to healthcare workers and first responders, the test program is now open to educators, childcare workers, agriculture, grocery and foodservice workers, hospitality employees, solid-waste collection workers, transportation services workers and members of the National Guard. More information and registration for the test is available at covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu.
Pima County is also one of several regions in the country where a new COVID-19 vaccine is being tested. The National Institutes of Health is conducting phase 3 trials on a vaccine co-developed by Moderna, Inc. and the National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. If you’re interested in volunteering, visit www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org or ClinicalTrials.gov and search identifier NCT04470427 to find a study center.
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Chris Hook
Ironwood Ridge senior running back Brandon Barrios runs downfield against Marana High School last October.
The AIA board voted for a staggered athletics season based on the information received from AIA member schools through a July online survey. Factors like student and personnel safety protocols that can be easily administered by athletic directors and coaches across the state helped board members reach a decision.
"The health and safety of our student participants, coaches, officials and essential personnel, including volunteers, is the primary concern for the return of interscholastic athletics and activities," AIA Executive Director David Hines said. "We are very grateful to those who share our commitment of a return to these highly beneficial educational activities and athletics."
Fall sports will continue to proceed under the out-of-season/summer rules as a part of AIA’s Bylaws and Policies until the first day of practice. The fall 2020 interscholastic athletics calendar will be shorted to accommodate for winter sports at the end of the year. All fall sports will still have an opportunity for a championship tournament.
The AIA Executive Board is made up representatives of member schools, each with concerns of how to proceed forward with interscholastic sports during the pandemic. While members brought up numerous concerns about the difficulty of creating a streamlined approach for schools statewide, they ultimately agreed upon the schedule below:
Football
First Practice – Sept. 7
First Competition – Sept. 30-Oct. 3
Championships – Dec. 11/12 (4A-6A & Open)
The number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 183,000 as of Thursday, Aug. 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had seen 17,293 of the state’s 183,647 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,002 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 6 report.
Arizona hospitals remain under pressure although the number of patients has declined from a peak last month. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 5, 1,879 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 1,136 people visited ERs on Aug. 5 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 593 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 5. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Trump praises Ducey’s response
Gov. Doug Ducey met with President Donald Trump and the White House COVID-19 Task Force in the Oval Office yesterday.
Trump praised Ducey’s response to COVID-19, saying Ducey had demonstrated how to get soaring COVID-19 cases under control without shutting down the economy.
Ducey lifted Arizona’s stay-at-home order in mid-May and allowed bars, gyms, movie theaters and other spaces where people congregate to reopen. Arizona’s numbers then skyrocketed as the virus became widespread and hospital beds filled. Under pressure, Ducey then allowed local authorities to enact measures requiring the wearing of masks, though he did not issue such an order himself. He also closed down gyms, theaters, water parks and some bars and limited restaurants to 50 percent capacity. Arizona’s numbers began to plateau in mid-July but the virus remains so widespread in Arizona that schools are unable to reopen for in-class sessions this month and instead will be conducted online.
Although Ducey has been out of town this week, the Ducey administration is set to unveil contagion metrics to guide school reopenings by tomorrow.
Pima County had seen 17,293 of the state’s 183,647 confirmed cases.
A total of 4,002 Arizonans had died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Aug. 6 report.
Arizona hospitals remain under pressure although the number of patients has declined from a peak last month. ADHS reported that as of Aug. 5, 1,879 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, down from a peak of 3,517 on July 13.
A total of 1,136 people visited ERs on Aug. 5 with COVID symptoms. That number peaked at 2,008 on July 7.
A total of 593 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds on Aug. 5. The number in ICUs peaked at 970 on July 13.
Trump praises Ducey’s response
Gov. Doug Ducey met with President Donald Trump and the White House COVID-19 Task Force in the Oval Office yesterday.
Trump praised Ducey’s response to COVID-19, saying Ducey had demonstrated how to get soaring COVID-19 cases under control without shutting down the economy.
Ducey lifted Arizona’s stay-at-home order in mid-May and allowed bars, gyms, movie theaters and other spaces where people congregate to reopen. Arizona’s numbers then skyrocketed as the virus became widespread and hospital beds filled. Under pressure, Ducey then allowed local authorities to enact measures requiring the wearing of masks, though he did not issue such an order himself. He also closed down gyms, theaters, water parks and some bars and limited restaurants to 50 percent capacity. Arizona’s numbers began to plateau in mid-July but the virus remains so widespread in Arizona that schools are unable to reopen for in-class sessions this month and instead will be conducted online.
Although Ducey has been out of town this week, the Ducey administration is set to unveil contagion metrics to guide school reopenings by tomorrow.
