Thursday, July 9, 2020
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 102K as of Thursday, July 9, after the state reported 4,057 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 10,835 of the state's 112,671 confirmed cases.
A total of 2,038 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has nearly two-thirds of the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 73,165.
Hospitals remain under pressure. The report shows that 3,437 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, more than triple the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1.
A total of 1,980 people visited ERs yesterday.
A total of 861 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday.
With the spread of COVID increasingly out of control in Arizona, the five Democrats in Arizona's congressional delegation—U.S. Reps. Raul Grijalva, Tom O'Halleran, Ann Kirkpatrick, Greg Stanton, and Ruben Gallego—have asked FEMA to bring expanded testing to Arizona as COVID-19 cases continue their uncontrolled spread.
In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency Acting Administrator Peter Gaynor, the members of Congress requested a “massive testing blitz” in Arizona.
"Access to testing is dangerously limited and is not even close to meeting demand," the lawmakers wrote. "Arizona is in the bottom third of per capita testing nationally and has the highest positive test rate in the nation at 25 percent- which is three times the national average. Arizonans have reported waiting in line for up to 13 hours for a test and having to wait as long as three weeks to receive the results. There is no way our state will get a handle on the virus with such inadequate testing."
The lawmakers note the outbreak's spread in Arizona is accelerating and putting major pressure on the healthcare system.
"We have seen uncontained community spread and exponential growth of the virus in Arizona," they wrote. "Yesterday, our state passed the grim milestone of 100,000 positive cases. Although it took our state five months to record its first 50,000 cases, it took us approximately two weeks to record an additional 50,000 cases. Alarmingly, we are now leading the nation in new daily cases per capita and not by a close margin. This has put severe pressure on our state’s health care resources. A record number of COVID-19 patients are in the hospital, in the ICU, and on ventilators. In response to only 9 percent ICU capacity remaining and some hospitals reaching 100% capacity, the state has authorized crisis standards of care."
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden also called on the federal government to increase testing yesterday.
Pima County had 10,835 of the state's 112,671 confirmed cases.
A total of 2,038 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has nearly two-thirds of the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 73,165.
Hospitals remain under pressure. The report shows that 3,437 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, more than triple the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1.
A total of 1,980 people visited ERs yesterday.
A total of 861 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday.
With the spread of COVID increasingly out of control in Arizona, the five Democrats in Arizona's congressional delegation—U.S. Reps. Raul Grijalva, Tom O'Halleran, Ann Kirkpatrick, Greg Stanton, and Ruben Gallego—have asked FEMA to bring expanded testing to Arizona as COVID-19 cases continue their uncontrolled spread.
In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency Acting Administrator Peter Gaynor, the members of Congress requested a “massive testing blitz” in Arizona.
"Access to testing is dangerously limited and is not even close to meeting demand," the lawmakers wrote. "Arizona is in the bottom third of per capita testing nationally and has the highest positive test rate in the nation at 25 percent- which is three times the national average. Arizonans have reported waiting in line for up to 13 hours for a test and having to wait as long as three weeks to receive the results. There is no way our state will get a handle on the virus with such inadequate testing."
The lawmakers note the outbreak's spread in Arizona is accelerating and putting major pressure on the healthcare system.
"We have seen uncontained community spread and exponential growth of the virus in Arizona," they wrote. "Yesterday, our state passed the grim milestone of 100,000 positive cases. Although it took our state five months to record its first 50,000 cases, it took us approximately two weeks to record an additional 50,000 cases. Alarmingly, we are now leading the nation in new daily cases per capita and not by a close margin. This has put severe pressure on our state’s health care resources. A record number of COVID-19 patients are in the hospital, in the ICU, and on ventilators. In response to only 9 percent ICU capacity remaining and some hospitals reaching 100% capacity, the state has authorized crisis standards of care."
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden also called on the federal government to increase testing yesterday.
Wednesday, July 8, 2020
PHOENIX – A White House panel of parents, teachers and school administrators said Tuesday that reopening schools this fall should be the nation’s top priority, for the wellbeing of students and parents and as a move to “stabilize our society.”
But while the panel pushed for schools reopening “quickly and beautifully in the fall,” as President Donald Trump put it, some teachers and parents in Arizona said they worry that schools here will not be able to find safe ways to do it.
“As a mom and as a teacher, I want my kids to be with their friends. I know that in-person is better for them,” said Dawn Penich-Thacker, communications director for Save Our Schools Arizona.
“But they (Arizona schools) can’t afford to keep my kids safe,” said Penich-Thacker, who worries that Arizona schools do not have the tools to make a safe return. “I see it from the inside that there are not enough resources.”
Gov. Doug Ducey last week ordered the start of in-person classes in Arizona pushed back to Aug. 17, one of several steps he took in the face of spiraling increases in the state’s COVID-19 cases. While the delay gives schools more time to prepare for schooling in the face of the coronavirus, it also means that schoolkids will have spent more than five months away from a classroom.
That’s five months of teachers and students adjusting to online education, five months of school systems scrambling for resources and five months of harried parents juggling jobs, housework and their kids’ educations.
But while the panel pushed for schools reopening “quickly and beautifully in the fall,” as President Donald Trump put it, some teachers and parents in Arizona said they worry that schools here will not be able to find safe ways to do it.
“As a mom and as a teacher, I want my kids to be with their friends. I know that in-person is better for them,” said Dawn Penich-Thacker, communications director for Save Our Schools Arizona.
“But they (Arizona schools) can’t afford to keep my kids safe,” said Penich-Thacker, who worries that Arizona schools do not have the tools to make a safe return. “I see it from the inside that there are not enough resources.”
Gov. Doug Ducey last week ordered the start of in-person classes in Arizona pushed back to Aug. 17, one of several steps he took in the face of spiraling increases in the state’s COVID-19 cases. While the delay gives schools more time to prepare for schooling in the face of the coronavirus, it also means that schoolkids will have spent more than five months away from a classroom.
That’s five months of teachers and students adjusting to online education, five months of school systems scrambling for resources and five months of harried parents juggling jobs, housework and their kids’ educations.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva:“There’s no sugar-coating it: The response to COVID-19 in Arizona has been a failure on the part of the state and the White House, and nowhere is that more evident than in testing capacity."
In a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Peter Gaynor, the members of Congress requested a “massive testing blitz” in Arizona.
"Access to testing is dangerously limited and is not even close to meeting demand," the lawmakers wrote. "Arizona is in the bottom third of per capita testing nationally and has the highest positive test rate in the nation at 25 percent- which is three times the national average. Arizonans have reported waiting in line for up to 13 hours for a test and having to wait as long as three weeks to receive the results. There is no way our state will get a handle on the virus with such inadequate testing."
The lawmakers note the outbreak's spread in Arizona is accelerating and putting major pressure on the healthcare system.
"We have seen uncontained community spread and exponential growth of the virus in Arizona," they wrote. "Yesterday, our state passed the grim milestone of 100,000 positive cases. Although it took our state five months to record its first 50,000 cases, it took us approximately two weeks to record an additional 50,000 cases. Alarmingly, we are now leading the nation in new daily cases per capita and not by a close margin. This has put severe pressure on our state’s health care resources. A record number of COVID-19 patients are in the hospital, in the ICU, and on ventilators. In response to only 9 percent ICU capacity remaining and some hospitals reaching 100% capacity, the state has authorized crisis standards of care."
Grijalva said in a prepared statement that the state needs "a robust testing program to identify and then trace the virus in order to keep our communities safe.”
“There’s no sugar-coating it: The response to COVID-19 in Arizona has been a failure on the part of the state and the White House, and nowhere is that more evident than in testing capacity,” Grijalva said.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed reached 108,000 as of Wednesday, July 8, after the state reported 3,520 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 10,485 of the state's 108,614 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,963 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has nearly two-thirds of the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 70,128.
Hospitals remain under pressure. The report shows that a record number of 3,421 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, more than triple the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1.
A record number of 2,008 people visited ERs with coronavirus symptoms yesterday, while a record number of 871 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds.
The full text of the letter after the jump.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 108,000 as of Wednesday, July 8, after the state reported 3,520 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 10,485 of the state's 108,614 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,963 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has nearly two-thirds of the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 70,128.
Hospitals remain under pressure. The report shows that 3,421 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, more than triple the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1.
A total of 2,008 people visited ERs yesterday.
A total of 871 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday.
With the spread of COVID increasingly out of control in Arizona, some local school districts have announced that they will only offer "distance learning" or online instruction when school starts next month. Unlike in spring, when schools moved online following spring break, districts are planning stricter instructional time designed to mirror traditional in-person classes.
Tucson Unified School District and Sunnyside School District revealed in recent days that they would move to an online-only model, while Catalina Foothills is moving forward with a plan that blends in-person classes and distance learning. Amphi School District announced yesterday that it would start online-only instruction on Aug. 10 and could return to the traditional classroom as soon as Aug. 17, but students will be able to continue with online classes if they choose to do so.
Marana School District had not yet updated its plans as of Tuesday, July 7.
TUSD will launch online classes for all students starting Aug. 10, with in-person classroom instruction delayed until "when it is deemed safe," according to a letter to parents from TUSD Superintendent Gabrielle Trujillo.
Pima County had 10,485 of the state's 108,614 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,963 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has nearly two-thirds of the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 70,128.
Hospitals remain under pressure. The report shows that 3,421 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state, more than triple the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1.
A total of 2,008 people visited ERs yesterday.
A total of 871 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday.
With the spread of COVID increasingly out of control in Arizona, some local school districts have announced that they will only offer "distance learning" or online instruction when school starts next month. Unlike in spring, when schools moved online following spring break, districts are planning stricter instructional time designed to mirror traditional in-person classes.
Tucson Unified School District and Sunnyside School District revealed in recent days that they would move to an online-only model, while Catalina Foothills is moving forward with a plan that blends in-person classes and distance learning. Amphi School District announced yesterday that it would start online-only instruction on Aug. 10 and could return to the traditional classroom as soon as Aug. 17, but students will be able to continue with online classes if they choose to do so.
Marana School District had not yet updated its plans as of Tuesday, July 7.
TUSD will launch online classes for all students starting Aug. 10, with in-person classroom instruction delayed until "when it is deemed safe," according to a letter to parents from TUSD Superintendent Gabrielle Trujillo.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
ICYMI, here are the stories we covered for you today.
- The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed reached 105,000 as of Tuesday, July 7, after the state reported 3,653 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- Hamilton is the gem it was rumored to be.
- Although the downtown theatre hasn’t hosted a live performance in months, the Fox Board of Directors has officially decided to suspend programming through December 2020 due to the continued impacts of COVID-19.
- Today Pima County government announced they contracted Maximus Health & Services, Inc. to boost contact tracing efforts in the region.
- Phoenix police released partial video Monday of the fatal shooting by officers this weekend of a man in Maryvale, but that did little to satisfy activists who are pressing for more footage to be released to the public.
- As the number of Arizonans who have contracted COVID-19 has raced past 100,000, testing for the novel coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease has become a priority.
- In late June, after three months of near silence on the topic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally weighed in on a question of critical importance to millions of American women and families: How dangerous is the coronavirus for pregnant women and new mothers?
- After a prolonged government shutdown cut into their revenues in 2019, business owners around the Grand Canyon National Park said 2020 appeared to be on track to being a bounceback year for them.
- With COVID-19 cases spreading wildly in the community, the Amphitheater School District is joining TUSD and Sunnyside School District in launching online-only classes to start the school year.
- Businesses tied to President Donald Trump’s family and associates stand to receive as much as $21 million in government loans designed to shore up payroll expenses for companies struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to federal data released Monday.
- The news that gyms would be shut down as part of Gov. Doug Ducey’s latest executive order to slow the spread of COVID-19 has blindsided those who work in the fitness industry.
- A new study led by University of Arizona researchers examines a variety of “nontraditional mask materials” and their ability to protect wearers.
A new study led by University of Arizona researchers examines a variety of “nontraditional mask materials” and their ability to protect wearers. The study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, compares the risk reduction of materials like scarves, pillowcases, and t-shirt fabric, as well as more common professional masks.
"N99 masks, which are even more efficient at filtering airborne particles than N95 masks, are obviously one of the best options for blocking the virus, as they can reduce average risk by 94 to 99 percent for 20-minute and 30-second exposures, but they can be hard to come by, and there are ethical considerations such as leaving those available for medical professionals," said lead author of the study Amanda Wilson, who works as an environmental health sciences doctoral candidate in the UA’s Department of Community, Environment and Policy.
PHOENIX – The news that gyms would be shut down as part of Gov. Doug Ducey’s latest executive order to slow the spread of COVID-19 has blindsided those who work in the fitness industry.
“We had just been getting things going,” said Maddi Briguglio, a personal trainer at Jab Fitness in Tempe. “Clients had just been getting into their routines, trying to adjust to the new changes of the maximum people and wearing masks and those types of things. Then you find out five hours ahead of time that you can’t do all the things you just changed to adjust to be able to do.”
Ducey’s announcement Monday closing gyms, bars, water parks and movie theaters came at 3 p.m. – and was to take effect at 8.
It was Ducey’s second shutdown order since March.
Mountainside Fitness responded with founder and CEO Tom Hatten filing a lawsuit against the governor and opting to keep doors open at all locations. As a result, the gym was cited Tuesday and the Scottsdale location’s chief operating officer was cited with a class one misdemeanor, reports NBC 12 News.
“This could be any business, anytime, anywhere,” Hatten said in a press conference. “I challenge anybody at this point to walk over to Home Depot, go to a casino, go to a liquor store or to a restaurant to have dinner. Let’s all wait for that decision.”
Larger gyms such as Mountainside Fitness have the funding and resources necessary to fight to keep their doors open. The company ranked No. 31 on Club Industry’s Top 100 Health Clubs of 2019 list with $45 million in reported 2018 revenue.
“We had just been getting things going,” said Maddi Briguglio, a personal trainer at Jab Fitness in Tempe. “Clients had just been getting into their routines, trying to adjust to the new changes of the maximum people and wearing masks and those types of things. Then you find out five hours ahead of time that you can’t do all the things you just changed to adjust to be able to do.”
Ducey’s announcement Monday closing gyms, bars, water parks and movie theaters came at 3 p.m. – and was to take effect at 8.
It was Ducey’s second shutdown order since March.
Mountainside Fitness responded with founder and CEO Tom Hatten filing a lawsuit against the governor and opting to keep doors open at all locations. As a result, the gym was cited Tuesday and the Scottsdale location’s chief operating officer was cited with a class one misdemeanor, reports NBC 12 News.
“This could be any business, anytime, anywhere,” Hatten said in a press conference. “I challenge anybody at this point to walk over to Home Depot, go to a casino, go to a liquor store or to a restaurant to have dinner. Let’s all wait for that decision.”
Larger gyms such as Mountainside Fitness have the funding and resources necessary to fight to keep their doors open. The company ranked No. 31 on Club Industry’s Top 100 Health Clubs of 2019 list with $45 million in reported 2018 revenue.
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Update, July 7, 2020: This story has been updated to include a statement from Peter Febo, chief operating officer of Kushner Companies.
Businesses tied to President Donald Trump’s family and associates stand to receive as much as $21 million in government loans designed to shore up payroll expenses for companies struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to federal data released Monday.
A hydroponic lettuce farm backed by Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., applied for at least $150,000 in Small Business Administration funding. Albert Hazzouri, a dentist frequently spotted at Mar-a-Lago, asked for a similar amount. A hospital run by Maria Ryan, a close associate of Trump lawyer and former mayor Rudy Giuliani, requested more than $5 million. Several companies connected to the president’s son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, could get upward of $6 million.
There’s no ban on businesses connected to Trump’s orbit receiving money. Democrats added a provision to the CARES Act excluding government officials and their family members from receiving some bailout funds, but not those from the PPP.
Update, July 7, 2020: This story has been updated to include a statement from Peter Febo, chief operating officer of Kushner Companies.
Businesses tied to President Donald Trump’s family and associates stand to receive as much as $21 million in government loans designed to shore up payroll expenses for companies struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to federal data released Monday.
A hydroponic lettuce farm backed by Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr., applied for at least $150,000 in Small Business Administration funding. Albert Hazzouri, a dentist frequently spotted at Mar-a-Lago, asked for a similar amount. A hospital run by Maria Ryan, a close associate of Trump lawyer and former mayor Rudy Giuliani, requested more than $5 million. Several companies connected to the president’s son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, could get upward of $6 million.
There’s no ban on businesses connected to Trump’s orbit receiving money. Democrats added a provision to the CARES Act excluding government officials and their family members from receiving some bailout funds, but not those from the PPP.
Officials say they will return to the traditional classroom as soon as Aug. 17 but students will be able to continue with online classes if they choose to do so.
Here's the letter from Amphi:
PHOENIX – After a prolonged government shutdown cut into their revenues in 2019, business owners around the Grand Canyon National Park said 2020 appeared to be on track to being a bounceback year for them.
Then COVID-19 hit.
The park was closed from April 1 to May 15, when it began to reopen on a limited basis. Tourists are returning, along with their wallets, but business officials say times are still tough.
“I don’t know if they’re going to be able to hang on,” said Laura Chastain, general manager for the Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, of some of the smaller businesses in the region. “Being rural, for our community, it really hit people hard.”
The park generates more than $1 billion in economic activity a year for the region, part of the $41.7 billion generated by parks across the country, the National Park Service says. But for the Grand Canyon, revenues fell from $1.2 billion in 2018 to $1.1 billion in 2019, according to the National Park Service’s 2019 Visitor Spending Effects Report.
Business owners were hopeful at the beginning of this year, when the park service’s Monthly Public Use Report showed 19% more visitors at the Grand Canyon in February 2020 than in February 2019. Then, COVID-19 hit and monthly visits in March fell 39% compared to March 2019.
“We were expecting a 20% increase in business over the 2019 season,” said Korey Seyler, general manager for Grand Canyon Adventures. “Unfortunately, things change.”
Chastain said many of the businesses that rely on the park – tour operators like Seyler as well as hotels, restaurants, retail and more – are currently operating only at 30% capacity.
Then COVID-19 hit.
The park was closed from April 1 to May 15, when it began to reopen on a limited basis. Tourists are returning, along with their wallets, but business officials say times are still tough.
“I don’t know if they’re going to be able to hang on,” said Laura Chastain, general manager for the Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, of some of the smaller businesses in the region. “Being rural, for our community, it really hit people hard.”
The park generates more than $1 billion in economic activity a year for the region, part of the $41.7 billion generated by parks across the country, the National Park Service says. But for the Grand Canyon, revenues fell from $1.2 billion in 2018 to $1.1 billion in 2019, according to the National Park Service’s 2019 Visitor Spending Effects Report.
Business owners were hopeful at the beginning of this year, when the park service’s Monthly Public Use Report showed 19% more visitors at the Grand Canyon in February 2020 than in February 2019. Then, COVID-19 hit and monthly visits in March fell 39% compared to March 2019.
“We were expecting a 20% increase in business over the 2019 season,” said Korey Seyler, general manager for Grand Canyon Adventures. “Unfortunately, things change.”
Chastain said many of the businesses that rely on the park – tour operators like Seyler as well as hotels, restaurants, retail and more – are currently operating only at 30% capacity.
