Wednesday, May 27, 2020
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has taken several steps in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Pima County, including voting on March 19 to close down all nonessential businesses, and later when the state reopened the economy, voting to implement and then revise new health regulations for restaurants and bars offering dine-in service once again.
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry noted that reaction has ranged from critics who say the county hasn't done enough to those who complain the Board of Supervisors shouldn't do anything at all. Democratic supervisors Ramon Valadez, Sharon Bronson and Betty Villegas said they voted for the regulations to ensure public safety, while Republicans Steve Christy and Ally Miller say the new rules make it harder for beleaguered businesses to reopen. At the request of three GOP lawmakers, Attorney General Mark Brnovich is investigating if the measures imposed by the board exceed their authority. See more details here.
Tucson Weekly asked the candidates running for Board of Supervisors seats this year if they approved of those decisions and if they would have done anything differently. Here’s what the candidates in District 5 had to say.
There’s an open seat in District 5 following the death of Supervisor Richard Elías in late March. The board appointed Betty Villegas to replace Elías, but she is not seeking the seat in November.
The Democratic primary pits two school board members against each other: TUSD Board member Adelita Grijalva is facing Sunnyside School Board member Consuelo Hernandez in the heavily Democratic district, which includes the University of Arizona, downtown and parts of South Tucson and Saguaro National Park West.
Grijalva said the county moved too slowly to close their facilities, such as the libraries, and transition the majority of employees to work from home. If she was on the board, Grijalva says she would have advocated to close down facilities sooner.
Now that businesses are opening back up, Grijalva said the county cannot ignore basic health and safety precautions. She has already witnessed large groups of people gathering at restaurants since the state stay-at-home order was lifted on May 15.
The question about safety guidelines in restaurants continues to be debated. On May 21, the supervisors had to revise their emergency regulations on restaurants and bars after restaurant owners complained the new rules were too burdensome and some state lawmakers threatened to sue.
Grijalva wants to see Pima County ensure sanitation, social distancing, case monitoring and soliciting feedback from the community. Without that, she fears a rushed reopening will cause a need to “reinstate anti-spread provisions” and inevitably cripple our chances of true economic recovery.
She also believes that the communications coming from the Pima County Health Department about COVID-19 need to be more accessible.
“I know that they’re putting it on social media, but if someone has connectivity issues, if they don’t have internet, then how are we getting information out?” Grijalva said. “It really is the responsibility of the county to get the information out, and I feel that while people who are engaged and seeking the information can find it, the vast majority may not be getting the updates that they need to.”
Hernandez said local government needs to do whatever it can to keep residents safe.
“As someone who has a background in global health, I know how critical it is for us to let the health professionals take the lead on this process,” Hernandez said. “And while I understand the problem the county supervisors face and understand the challenges, it remains critical for us to deal with the situation with the best health and safety interests of our citizens in mind.”
Republican Fernando Gonzales did not respond to requests for comment.
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry noted that reaction has ranged from critics who say the county hasn't done enough to those who complain the Board of Supervisors shouldn't do anything at all. Democratic supervisors Ramon Valadez, Sharon Bronson and Betty Villegas said they voted for the regulations to ensure public safety, while Republicans Steve Christy and Ally Miller say the new rules make it harder for beleaguered businesses to reopen. At the request of three GOP lawmakers, Attorney General Mark Brnovich is investigating if the measures imposed by the board exceed their authority. See more details here.
Tucson Weekly asked the candidates running for Board of Supervisors seats this year if they approved of those decisions and if they would have done anything differently. Here’s what the candidates in District 5 had to say.
Adelita Grijalva campaign
Adelita Grijalva says the county moved too slowly to close their facilities, such as the libraries, and transition the majority of employees to work from home.
The Democratic primary pits two school board members against each other: TUSD Board member Adelita Grijalva is facing Sunnyside School Board member Consuelo Hernandez in the heavily Democratic district, which includes the University of Arizona, downtown and parts of South Tucson and Saguaro National Park West.
Grijalva said the county moved too slowly to close their facilities, such as the libraries, and transition the majority of employees to work from home. If she was on the board, Grijalva says she would have advocated to close down facilities sooner.
Now that businesses are opening back up, Grijalva said the county cannot ignore basic health and safety precautions. She has already witnessed large groups of people gathering at restaurants since the state stay-at-home order was lifted on May 15.
The question about safety guidelines in restaurants continues to be debated. On May 21, the supervisors had to revise their emergency regulations on restaurants and bars after restaurant owners complained the new rules were too burdensome and some state lawmakers threatened to sue.
“As someone who has a background in global health, I know how critical it is for us to let the health professionals take the lead on this process,” Consuelo Hernandez said. “And while I understand the problem the county supervisors face and understand the challenges, it remains critical for us to deal with the situation with the best health and safety interests of our citizens in mind.”
She also believes that the communications coming from the Pima County Health Department about COVID-19 need to be more accessible.
“I know that they’re putting it on social media, but if someone has connectivity issues, if they don’t have internet, then how are we getting information out?” Grijalva said. “It really is the responsibility of the county to get the information out, and I feel that while people who are engaged and seeking the information can find it, the vast majority may not be getting the updates that they need to.”
Hernandez said local government needs to do whatever it can to keep residents safe.
“As someone who has a background in global health, I know how critical it is for us to let the health professionals take the lead on this process,” Hernandez said. “And while I understand the problem the county supervisors face and understand the challenges, it remains critical for us to deal with the situation with the best health and safety interests of our citizens in mind.”
Republican Fernando Gonzales did not respond to requests for comment.
Memorial Day weekend crowds that one official said were “off the charts” at Arizona vacation spots have health experts worried that tourist behavior could lead to an increase of COVID-19 of cases.
With the state’s stay-at-home orders largely lifted this month, tourists flocked to sites like Lake Havasu, Scottsdale and Lake Pleasant, according to news reports. At Lake Havasu, one official said, “The lake was full, the river was full. Every activity we had, there were people involved in.”
While it was legal, it may not have been wise, according to one health official, who said the “behavior over the holiday weekend will increase transmission of the virus.”
“Whether that translates into a big increase of cases, we don’t know yet,” said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association. “But it was definitely the kind of the behavior that increases the spread of the virus.”
Those concerns were echoed by Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane, who said images of crowds in Old Town Scottsdale were “disturbing, and frankly show a real lack of common sense and civic responsibility.”
“It is imperative that all businesses comply with the governor’s executive orders – to ignore them is to risk faster spread of this disease and further damage to our physical and economic wellbeing,” Lane said in a statement Tuesday.
After stay-at-home orders shut down much of the state’s travel and tourism – and other industries – this spring, Gov. Doug Ducey began lifting the restrictions earlier this month.
With the state’s stay-at-home orders largely lifted this month, tourists flocked to sites like Lake Havasu, Scottsdale and Lake Pleasant, according to news reports. At Lake Havasu, one official said, “The lake was full, the river was full. Every activity we had, there were people involved in.”
While it was legal, it may not have been wise, according to one health official, who said the “behavior over the holiday weekend will increase transmission of the virus.”
“Whether that translates into a big increase of cases, we don’t know yet,” said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association. “But it was definitely the kind of the behavior that increases the spread of the virus.”
Those concerns were echoed by Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane, who said images of crowds in Old Town Scottsdale were “disturbing, and frankly show a real lack of common sense and civic responsibility.”
“It is imperative that all businesses comply with the governor’s executive orders – to ignore them is to risk faster spread of this disease and further damage to our physical and economic wellbeing,” Lane said in a statement Tuesday.
After stay-at-home orders shut down much of the state’s travel and tourism – and other industries – this spring, Gov. Doug Ducey began lifting the restrictions earlier this month.
Muslims in Arizona struggled this weekend to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the day of feasting that marks the end of the month of fasting during Ramadan, while still socially distancing in the face of COVID-19. One alternative was a parade of cars, so people could be together without being too close. (Photo courtesy Malak Tohaibeche)
It was just one of the changes that Arizona Muslims made this year for Eid al-Fitr, which ends the month of fasting of Ramadan. Other mosques held car parades for the holiday, encouraged prayers online or at home or, in one instance, allowed worshipers in the mosque who wore masks and prayed a safe distance from one another.
At the Tempe mosque, Imam Omar Tawil estimated that 250 to 300 cars circled the center Sunday morning, honking as they drove by in cars adorned with balloons and windows painted with sayings like “Eid Mubarak” and “CovEID.” Volunteers wearing masks and gloves handed out small presents and boxes of sweets.
“It was personal enough, and as personal as you could get,” Tawil said. “And we were still wearing masks and still practicing social distancing.”
He said planning for the parade was an “organic” process by volunteers and mosque board members who were looking for “an opportunity to feel what they normally feel in the month of Ramadan,” a sense of community and belonging.
Leena Tohaibeche, a Tempe resident who took part in the parade with her family, said it let her feel safe while feeling herself part of the celebration.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 17,000 as of Wednesday, May 27, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 2,119 of the state's 17,262 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 831 people statewide, including 175 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 8,627.
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
As Pima County emerges from the state's stay-at-home order, many establishments have reopened and more are planning to in the weeks to come as local elected officials attempt to enact emergency regulations or otherwise advise people how to safely avoid COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Bob England, Pima County's Interim Health Director, said the next few weeks will show healthcare experts two things: The degree to which our population has developed an immunity to COVID-19 and the seasonality of the disease. He said if the virus behaves really seasonally and cases continue to drop since Arizona’s stay-home order was lifted May 15, that’s good news in the short run. However, he said there could be bad news later in the year.
“But in the long run, that may mean we’re in for it in the winter because if it comes back with a vengeance during the time we have other respiratory viruses and flus circulating, that could be a real mess for all of us,” England said.
England said now was the time to prepare, both as residents and healthcare providers, for any potential resurgence. England added that if COVID-19 behaves like other coronaviruses, and if our immune system behaves as it does with other illnesses caused by coronaviruses, “then maybe we’ve got a couple of years worth of protection to look forward to. That means this may be an every winter phenomenon.”
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Welcome to the end of Tuesday! We hope you had a good but safe long weekend. Now let's take a look at the stories that we covered today.
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 16,783 as of Tuesday, May 26, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- John Henry's Bar in downtown Tucson played tribute to Gordo's famed commercials by recreating one to announce the limited-capacity reopening over Memorial Day weekend.
- Pima County Public Library has some great news to share!
- Last week, Governor Doug Ducey announced that $500,000 from Arizona's Coronavirus Relief Fund had been allocated to 10 organizations providing out-of-school child care in the state.
- If you’re one of those people who never get a flu shot, make sure you do this year. If you normally do, make sure you don’t miss it.
- Banner Health announced a move to begin purchasing masks for the next for its facilities from domestic manufacturer Prestige Ameritech, the healthcare system announced in a Tuesday press release.
- Just because venues are closed doesn’t mean live shows aren’t taking place, and The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley is on a tear this summer, hosting several concerts a week in its parking lot.
- The Pima County Department Environmental Quality has issued a warning for an elevated potential for ground-level ozone air pollution in the Tucson metro area for today, May 26.
- Reopening states after the COVID-19 lockdown raises unnerving questions for working parents who depend on some form of child care, from nannies to day camp.
- The University of Arizona-led spacecraft OSIRIS-REx is planned to collect a sample of the surface of an asteroid on October 20. And if successful, it will be the first U.S. spacecraft to return samples from an asteroid.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
Reopening states after the COVID-19 lockdown raises unnerving questions for working parents who depend on some form of child care, from nannies to day camp.
Instead of coming home with a snotty nose, is your child going to bring back the coronavirus? And how do you know your in-home babysitter or nanny, even your child’s teacher, isn’t a symptom-free spreader?
The short answer is that there are no easy answers. Every family’s budget and needs and risk tolerance are going to be different. ProPublica scoured the latest research and talked to seven infectious disease and public health experts to help think through the issues facing parents.
We were surprised to find the experts were reassuring. In fact, with the proper precautions and monitoring in place, most of them thought parents could safely rely on caregivers, day care centers and perhaps even counselors at sleep-away camp.
Reopening states after the COVID-19 lockdown raises unnerving questions for working parents who depend on some form of child care, from nannies to day camp.
Instead of coming home with a snotty nose, is your child going to bring back the coronavirus? And how do you know your in-home babysitter or nanny, even your child’s teacher, isn’t a symptom-free spreader?
The short answer is that there are no easy answers. Every family’s budget and needs and risk tolerance are going to be different. ProPublica scoured the latest research and talked to seven infectious disease and public health experts to help think through the issues facing parents.
We were surprised to find the experts were reassuring. In fact, with the proper precautions and monitoring in place, most of them thought parents could safely rely on caregivers, day care centers and perhaps even counselors at sleep-away camp.
Banner Health announced a move to begin purchasing masks for the next for its facilities from domestic manufacturer Prestige Ameritech, the healthcare system announced in a Tuesday press release.
After partnering with Premier Inc, Banner acquired a minority stake in Prestige, which manufactures personal protective equipment, including the N95 respirator and surgical masks. As part of the deal, Banner announced a commitment to acquiring a portion of its masks from Prestige for up to six years, including a three-year renewal option.
Prestige Ameritech is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas at its 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
According to Banner, worldwide border closures and supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the risk to daily operations presented to healthcare operators.
“Overreliance on foreign manufacturers is a key reason why we’ve had concerns about the consistency of available PPE supplies at care sites across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Banner Chief Financial OfficerDennis Laraway, in a statement.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
After partnering with Premier Inc, Banner acquired a minority stake in Prestige, which manufactures personal protective equipment, including the N95 respirator and surgical masks. As part of the deal, Banner announced a commitment to acquiring a portion of its masks from Prestige for up to six years, including a three-year renewal option.
Prestige Ameritech is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas at its 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
According to Banner, worldwide border closures and supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the risk to daily operations presented to healthcare operators.
“Overreliance on foreign manufacturers is a key reason why we’ve had concerns about the consistency of available PPE supplies at care sites across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Banner Chief Financial OfficerDennis Laraway, in a statement.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
If you’re one of those people who never get a flu shot, make sure you do this year. If you normally do, make sure you don’t miss it.
That was the key advice Pima County’s Interim Health Department Director Bob England delivered to residents Tuesday morning via his daily video address regarding COVID-19.
England said the last thing you want is to get sick during the winter when the coronavirus could see another peak.
He added that the next few weeks will show healthcare experts two things: How much immunity society has developed to the disease, and COVID-19’s seasonality. He said if the virus behaves really seasonally and cases continue to drop since Arizona’s stay-home order was lifted May 15, that’s good news in the short run.
That was the key advice Pima County’s Interim Health Department Director Bob England delivered to residents Tuesday morning via his daily video address regarding COVID-19.
England said the last thing you want is to get sick during the winter when the coronavirus could see another peak.
He added that the next few weeks will show healthcare experts two things: How much immunity society has developed to the disease, and COVID-19’s seasonality. He said if the virus behaves really seasonally and cases continue to drop since Arizona’s stay-home order was lifted May 15, that’s good news in the short run.
Last week, Governor Doug Ducey announced that $500,000 from Arizona's Coronavirus Relief Fund had been allocated to 10 organizations providing out-of-school child care in the state.
The funding will support "extended hours and enrichment programs to meet the increased demand of child care for families while students distance learn and parents or guardians work."
The funding will go to:
The funding will support "extended hours and enrichment programs to meet the increased demand of child care for families while students distance learn and parents or guardians work."
The funding will go to:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Casa Grande
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona
- Boys & Girls Club of Flagstaff
- Boys & Girls Club of Round Valley
- Boys & Girls Club of Bisbee
- The CLUB for YOUth Kingman
- Cobre Valley Youth Club
- Patagonia Youth Enrichment Center
Pima County had 2,075 confirmed cases.
The coronavirus had killed 807 people statewide, including 173 in Pima County, according to the report.
In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 8,448.
Because symptoms can take as long as two weeks to appear after exposure to the virus (while some people can remain entirely asymptomatic), health officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary trips and gatherings of more than 10 people, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.
As Pima County emerges from the state's stay-at-home order, many establishments have reopened and more are planning to in the weeks to come as local elected officials attempt to enact emergency regulations or otherwise advise people how to safely avoid COVID-19 infection.
• The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines last week to revise the emergency health regulations they passed the previous week. The health regulations, related to the “best practices” strategies developed by the county’s Back To Business Task Force, came under fire from some members of the restaurant sector as well as local GOP state lawmakers, who asked Attorney General Mark Brnovich to look into whether the board was violating state law by enacting the regulations.
Some of the most significant revisions include removal of the $500 civil penalty, allowing bartop seating as long as six-foot distancing requirements are met and nixing 50 percent occupancy guidelines if physical distancing allows for higher occupancy.
