Wednesday, June 17, 2020
In a reversal of his previous policy, Gov. Doug Ducey announced today that he will allow local jurisdictions to mandate the wearing of face masks in an effort to slow Arizona’s skyrocketing spread of COVID-19.Protect yourself.
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) June 17, 2020
Protect others.
Help contain the spread of #COVID19.
Wear a mask. #MaskUpAZ pic.twitter.com/jtWuZmyiqF
Ducey, who wore a mask before beginning the press conference for the first time, said different areas of the state were facing different circumstances, so he was relaxing his emergency regulations that limited the actions of local communities. He said it would be up to local communities to set up rules and penalties.
Tucson officials, including Mayor Regina Romero and Councilmember Steve Kozachik, had been asking Ducey to allow them to set local standards in accordance with CDC guidelines. Earlier today, Romero said she had asked City Attorney Michael Rankin to develop a legal strategy to require masks.
Ducey, who had not emphasized the wearing of face masks before last week, recommended that people should “act responsibly” and wear the masks when out in public.
“Every Arizonan should wear a face mask,” Ducey said. “It’s the smart thing to do.”
Following Ducey's announcement, Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson said she believed the county should mandate the wearing of face masks.
Ducey also said his administration would be providing more guidance to businesses to prevent large gatherings.
Ducey's action comes as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona soared to nearly 41,000 as of today after the state reported 1,827 new cases reported this morning.
Pima County had 4,385 of the state's 40,924 confirmed cases, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. That's more than double the 20,123 confirmed cases the state had on June 1.
A total of 1,239 people have died after contracting the virus, including 229 in Pima County.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 22,272.
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.
This is a developing story with newly added reaction from local officials.
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Click here to read their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.
It’s been six months since researchers in China said they had identified a novel coronavirus spreading in the city of Wuhan. Hope and desire for a vaccine to end the global devastation is growing with each passing week.
Almost every day, I hear people making plans around the eventual arrival of a coronavirus vaccine — office reopenings, rescheduled weddings, family reunions and international travel. In recent weeks, colleagues and friends have asked me with growing urgency: “When will we have a vaccine? Will it be any good?”
It’s been six months since researchers in China said they had identified a novel coronavirus spreading in the city of Wuhan. Hope and desire for a vaccine to end the global devastation is growing with each passing week.
Almost every day, I hear people making plans around the eventual arrival of a coronavirus vaccine — office reopenings, rescheduled weddings, family reunions and international travel. In recent weeks, colleagues and friends have asked me with growing urgency: “When will we have a vaccine? Will it be any good?”
Mount Lemmon's community of Summerhaven was spared as the Bighorn Fire continued to rage in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
The fire has now devoured 17,500 acres and is 40 percent contained, primarily on the eastern and southern edges of the blaze near Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills. according to a morning incident report. Residents in those areas have been advised to remain in "set" position in the state's Ready, Set, Go evacuation system. The fire has moved to Samaniego Ridge and firefighters are keeping an eye on the areas of SaddleBrooke and East Golder Ranch.
Mount Lemmon residents were told to evacuate the mountain yesterday. Catalina Highway has been closed at milespost zero since Sunday night.
More than 700 firefighters are now battling the Bighorn Fire, including eight hotshot crews and multiple aircraft and bulldozers.
Firefighters did burnout operations near Radio Ridge and the Mount Lemmon Sky Center yesterday. The fire was to the west and north of Summerhaven, according to a morning briefing. Fire barriers set since the 2003 Aspen fire have helped protect the community, as has work by firefighters in recent days.
High and gusty winds today are expected to fuel the fire and limit the ability of firefighters to use aircraft to battle the blaze.
The fire was ignited by lightning on Friday, June 5.
Catalina State Park has been closed and firefighters have established a restricted area bounded along the Coronado National Forest boundary south and east to the northeast corner of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, northeast along the Forest boundary to its northeastern terminus at Sabino Creek, Sabino Creek north to the Arizona Trail, the Arizona Trail northwest to the junction with Romero Trail, and the Romero Trail northwest to Catalina State Park
Fire crews remind the public that drones are prohibited over the fire area because firefighting aircraft are busy and must be grounded in drones' presence. On June 5, a drone incursion resulted in "an investigation with the drone operator being issued a violation notice."
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped to nearly 41,000 as of Wednesday, June 17, after the state reported 1,827 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 4,385 of the state's 40,924 confirmed cases.
That's more than double the 20,123 confirmed cases the state had on June 1.
A total of 1,239 people have died after contracting the virus, including 229 in Pima County.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 22,272.
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.
Although Gov. Doug Ducey told Arizonans that the state "was clearly on the other side of this pandemic" when he lifted his stay-at-home order on in mid-May, Arizona hospitals continue to see a steady rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms.
This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, a record 1,582 Arizonans were hospitalized, a 50 percent jump of 573 people from the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1. A total of 1,093 arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 16, the first time that number has topped 1,000. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667, but the daily number hasn't dipped below 800 since June 5. The number of patients in ICU beds hit a new record of 531 yesterday.
Tucson officials, including Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, have asked Gov. Doug Ducey to allow local communities to set their own standards to reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19. Under his executive order, Ducey has prohibited local jurisdictions from setting standards tougher than state regulations.
Romero yesterday urged Ducey "to remove the restrictions he has placed on local governments from taking their own public health measures."
"For example, I believe that face masks should be mandatory in areas of the state with high community transmission for indoor spaces where social distancing is not feasible," Romero said. "Gov. Ducey needs to untie the hands of local governments and allow us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our communities and account for local conditions."
Ducey, who has rarely been seen with a mask or face covering and whose administration has frequently neglected to include the advice in various health advisories it has sent out, said last week he did wear them while shopping when he cannot physically distance from others by at least 6 feet. He advised Arizonans to wear them if they felt comfortable doing so.
Despite the rising number of hospitalizations, Ducey said last week there's no reason to be concerned about hospital capacity.
Pima County had 4,385 of the state's 40,924 confirmed cases.
That's more than double the 20,123 confirmed cases the state had on June 1.
A total of 1,239 people have died after contracting the virus, including 229 in Pima County.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 22,272.
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.
Although Gov. Doug Ducey told Arizonans that the state "was clearly on the other side of this pandemic" when he lifted his stay-at-home order on in mid-May, Arizona hospitals continue to see a steady rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms.
This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, a record 1,582 Arizonans were hospitalized, a 50 percent jump of 573 people from the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1. A total of 1,093 arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 16, the first time that number has topped 1,000. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667, but the daily number hasn't dipped below 800 since June 5. The number of patients in ICU beds hit a new record of 531 yesterday.
Dr. Steven Oscherwitz tweeted yesterday that there was just one bed left in TMC's ICU.Just a #single #ICU #bed available this AM at Tucson Medical Center.
— Steven Oscherwitz MD (@drdetectve) June 15, 2020
Better contact your #governor (quickly!)
Tucson officials, including Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, have asked Gov. Doug Ducey to allow local communities to set their own standards to reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19. Under his executive order, Ducey has prohibited local jurisdictions from setting standards tougher than state regulations.
Romero yesterday urged Ducey "to remove the restrictions he has placed on local governments from taking their own public health measures."
"For example, I believe that face masks should be mandatory in areas of the state with high community transmission for indoor spaces where social distancing is not feasible," Romero said. "Gov. Ducey needs to untie the hands of local governments and allow us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our communities and account for local conditions."
Ducey, who has rarely been seen with a mask or face covering and whose administration has frequently neglected to include the advice in various health advisories it has sent out, said last week he did wear them while shopping when he cannot physically distance from others by at least 6 feet. He advised Arizonans to wear them if they felt comfortable doing so.
Despite the rising number of hospitalizations, Ducey said last week there's no reason to be concerned about hospital capacity.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Here's a look at the stories we covered today:
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped past 39,000 as of Tuesday, June 16, after the state reported a record new 2,392 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum began a phased reopening today, June 16, with new safety precautions based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
- The Pima County Sheriff's Department has issued a "GO" order to the areas of Mt. Lemmon and Mt. Bigelow north of Organization Ridge Road, including Summerhaven, due to the encroaching Bighorn Fire, now nearly 16,000 acres.
- The Trump administration has unveiled its furthest-reaching plan yet to change asylum law in the U.S., redefining the meaning of “persecution” and raising the bar for refugees seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture, among other changes.
- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Civil Rights Act protections against “sex discrimination” also protect gay or transgender employees from discrimination, even if they are not specifically mentioned in the 1964 law.
PHOENIX – The Trump administration has unveiled its furthest-reaching plan yet to change asylum law in the U.S., redefining the meaning of “persecution” and raising the bar for refugees seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture, among other changes.
The 161-page proposal, officially posted Monday in the Federal Register, would also streamline the asylum-approval process, letting immigration judges rather than immigration courts make rulings in asylum cases and redefining the definition of a frivolous application.
The proposal follows similar actions by the departments of Homeland Security and Justice, but legal experts say this time it will be harder to challenge in court than those previous rules.
“Essentially this rule tries, in a way that hasn’t been done before, to define what can be grounds for asylum,” said Jessica Bolter, an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.
The proposal, first unveiled Wednesday, was swiftly condemned by advocates like the Tahirih Justice Center, which called the proposed regulations “an assault on the fundamental right to seek asylum.”
The 161-page proposal, officially posted Monday in the Federal Register, would also streamline the asylum-approval process, letting immigration judges rather than immigration courts make rulings in asylum cases and redefining the definition of a frivolous application.
The proposal follows similar actions by the departments of Homeland Security and Justice, but legal experts say this time it will be harder to challenge in court than those previous rules.
“Essentially this rule tries, in a way that hasn’t been done before, to define what can be grounds for asylum,” said Jessica Bolter, an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.
The proposal, first unveiled Wednesday, was swiftly condemned by advocates like the Tahirih Justice Center, which called the proposed regulations “an assault on the fundamental right to seek asylum.”
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum began a phased reopening today, June 16, with new safety precautions based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
The natural history museum, located at 2021 N. Kinney Road, is also a zoo, botanical garden, and aquarium. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, they frequently hosted art gallery events and educational programs for children and adults of all ages.
Guests who plan a visit to the museum will still have access to most exhibits. Some indoor amenities will be closed, such as the Packrat Playhouse, while others will be modified to ensure health safety. Food and beverages will still be available onsite.
Tags: COVID-19 , Coronavirus , Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum , Reopen , Safety , Social Distancing , Image
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped past 39,000 as of Tuesday, June 16, after the state reported a record new 2,392 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County had 4,329 of the state's 39,097 confirmed cases.
On June 1, the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,219 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 20,775.
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.
Although Gov. Doug Ducey told Arizonans that the state "was clearly on the other side of this pandemic" when he lifted his stay-at-home order on in mid-May, Arizona hospitals continue to see a steady rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms.
This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, a record 1,506 Arizonans were hospitalized, a jump of 497 from June 1. A record number total of 956 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 15, according to the report. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667, but the daily number hasn't dipped below 800 since June 5. The number of patients in ICU beds hit a new record of 502 yesterday.
Tucson officials, including Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, have asked Ducey to allow local communities to set their own standards to reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19. Under his executive order, Ducey has prohibited local jurisdictions from setting standards tougher than state regulations.
Romero yesterday urged Ducey "to remove the restrictions he has placed on local governments from taking their own public health measures."
"For example, I believe that face masks should be mandatory in areas of the state with high community transmission for indoor spaces where social distancing is not feasible," Romero said. "Gov. Ducey needs to untie the hands of local governments and allow us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our communities and account for local conditions."
Ducey, who has rarely been seen with a mask or face covering and whose administration has frequently neglected to include the advice in various health advisories it has sent out, said last week he did wear them while shopping when he cannot physically distance from others by at least 6 feet. He advised Arizonans to wear them if they felt comfortable doing so.
Despite the rising number of hospitalizations, Gov. Doug Ducey said last week there's no reason to be concerned about hospital capacity.
Pima County had 4,329 of the state's 39,097 confirmed cases.
On June 1, the state had 20,123 confirmed cases.
A total of 1,219 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 20,775.
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.
Although Gov. Doug Ducey told Arizonans that the state "was clearly on the other side of this pandemic" when he lifted his stay-at-home order on in mid-May, Arizona hospitals continue to see a steady rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms.
This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, a record 1,506 Arizonans were hospitalized, a jump of 497 from June 1. A record number total of 956 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 15, according to the report. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667, but the daily number hasn't dipped below 800 since June 5. The number of patients in ICU beds hit a new record of 502 yesterday.
Tucson officials, including Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, have asked Ducey to allow local communities to set their own standards to reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19. Under his executive order, Ducey has prohibited local jurisdictions from setting standards tougher than state regulations.
Romero yesterday urged Ducey "to remove the restrictions he has placed on local governments from taking their own public health measures."
"For example, I believe that face masks should be mandatory in areas of the state with high community transmission for indoor spaces where social distancing is not feasible," Romero said. "Gov. Ducey needs to untie the hands of local governments and allow us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our communities and account for local conditions."
Ducey, who has rarely been seen with a mask or face covering and whose administration has frequently neglected to include the advice in various health advisories it has sent out, said last week he did wear them while shopping when he cannot physically distance from others by at least 6 feet. He advised Arizonans to wear them if they felt comfortable doing so.
Despite the rising number of hospitalizations, Gov. Doug Ducey said last week there's no reason to be concerned about hospital capacity.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Halfway through June already! Let's look at the stories that we covered today:
- The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped past 36,000 as of Monday, June 15, with a jump of 1,014 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- The Bighorn Fire is now approximately 14,600 acres and is 22 percent contained.
- For weeks, Rachel Willard, the county health director in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, had watched with alarm as COVID-19 cases rolled in from the Tyson Foods chicken plant in the center of town.
- In late March, as the number of COVID-19 cases was growing exponentially in the state, Cuomo said New York hospitals might need twice as many beds as they normally have.
- Two weeks after the polls closed in this year’s Ohio primary, two U.S. Postal Service employees showed up in the office of Diane Noonan, the director of elections in Butler County. The workers carried a tray of 317 unopened ballots that had been sitting in a Postal Service warehouse since the day before the election.
- Escape the summer heat (and quarantine) with the rocking sound of live music, happening every week at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley. Dance with your friends, enjoy some tunes, and snack on the region’s best pizza.
- Customs and Border Protection officials spent funds that were supposed to go to medical care and migrant processing facilities to pay for computer upgrades, canine units, ATVs and other items instead, a new government report shows.
- If you have kids, summer in Arizona usually contains many trips to the pool, splash pads, museums, or summer camp. This year has been a bit different.
- Sundt Construction Co. and its partner Kiewit picked up an award for their joint efforts on the Ina Road Traffic Interchange earlier this month, the companies announced in a press release.
- Local financial firm Hughes Federal Credit Union recently earned awards for its website, inclusivity initiatives and marketing strategies by Progress Software and the Credit Union National Association, the company announced Monday.
- The University of Arizona will now offer a Master of Arts in Bilingual Journalism, which is expected to prepare future journalists to “cover complex issues affecting Latinx people in the U.S. and abroad,” according to a press release from the UA’s School of Journalism.
The University of Arizona will now offer a Master of Arts in Bilingual Journalism, which is expected to prepare future journalists to “cover complex issues affecting Latinx people in the U.S. and abroad,” according to a press release from the UA’s School of Journalism.
Associate Professor Jessica Retis will head the master’s program beginning in the fall of 2021. She has spent years researching Latino news and was a journalist for 20 years in Peru, Mexico and Spain.
Retis aims to help students understand the history, economics, politics and cultures of diverse groups. The title of “bilingual journalism” will entail much more than just being able to interview sources in two languages.
"Our program seeks to train journalists to understand these complexities,” she said.
Tags: University of Arizona , School of Journalism , Bilingual Journalism , Masters Degree , Jessica Retis , Celeste González de Bustamante , Image
