The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 28,000 as of Tuesday, June 9, with another 618 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 3,161 of the state's 28,296 confirmed cases.

A total of 1,070 people have died after contracting the virus, including 212 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 14,374.

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.

Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on May 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a 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, 1,243 Arizonans were hospitalized. There are 438 COVID patients in ICU units and 848 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 8, according to the report.

Banner Health's chief clinical officer Marjorie Bessel hosted a special briefing about the rapidly increasing numbers of COVID hospitalizations in Arizona on Friday, June 5.
Bessel warned that if current trends continue, Banner will soon need to exercise its surge plan to increase ICU capacity. Bessel highlighted a steep increase of COVID-19 patients on ventilators: On June 4, Banner’s Arizona hospitals had 116 COVID-19 patients on ventilators, up from roughly 15 a month prior.

When Ducey lifted Arizona's stay-at-home order on May 16, he noted that CDC gating criteria included two weeks of falling cases or a two weeks decreasing positive cases as a percentage of total tests. Total cases continue to rise, as does the number of positive cases as a percentage of total tests. On May 17, the percentage of positive tests to total tests was 6 percent; on May 24, it was 9 percent; on May 31, it was 12 percent, according to figure on the ADHS website.

At a June 4 press conference, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state. Christ downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.”

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 27,000 as of Monday, June 8, with another 789 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 3,154 of the state's 27,678 confirmed cases.

A total of 1,047 people have died after contracting the virus, including 205 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 14,003.

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.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona closed in on 27,000 as of Sunday, June 7, with another 1,438 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 3,098 of the state's 26,889 confirmed cases.

A total of 1,044 people have died after contracting the virus, including 205 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 13,498.

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.

Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on May 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, 1,252 Arizonans were hospitalized, a decline of 26 from yesterday. The state hit a new high of 392 COVID patients in ICU units. A new record of 837 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 6, according to the report. 
Banner Health's chief clinical officer Marjorie Bessel hosted a special briefing about the rapidly increasing trend of COVID hospitalizations in Arizona on Friday, June 5. Bessel warned that if current trends continue, Banner will soon need to exercise its surge plan to increase ICU capacity.

Bessel also said that most concerning is the steep incline of COVID-19 patients on ventilators: On June 4, Banner’s Arizona hospitals had 116 COVID-19 patients on ventilators, up from roughly 15 a month prior.

Banner officials urge everyone to exercise behaviors that are proven to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask when you’re in public near others, staying six feet away from others, and avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people.

Data from the Centers For Disease Control indicate that the five days with the largest increases in new COVID cases in Arizona all came after Ducey's stay-at-home order expired on May 15.

At a June 4 press conference, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.”

While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

When he lifted the stay-at-home order, Ducey told Arizonans: "We are clearly on the other side of this pandemic."

Kathleen Kunz and Jeff Gardner contributed to this report.

Read Banner's latest PowerPoint on COVID in Arizona here.

Data from the Centers For Disease Control indicate that the five days with the largest increases in new COVID cases in Arizona all came after Ducey's stay-at-home order expired on May 15.

At a June 4 press conference, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.”

While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

When he lifted the stay-at-home order, Ducey told Arizonans: "We are clearly on the other side of this pandemic."

Correction: This article originally had an inaccurate date for the lifting of the stay-at-home order.

Here are the stories we covered for you today, and a few stories you may have missed from this past week.

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 24,000 as of Friday, June 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. That's a single-day jump of more than 1,500 cases.
• While international conventions outlaw the US from using chemical agents in warfare, we still use them on our own citizens. In response to a wave of national riots and police tear-gassing, Banner Health’s Poison and Drug Information Center recently shared a list of safety tips if the public is exposed to these riot control agents.
• A new Trump appointee to the United States’ foreign aid agency In her June 5 video address to the community, has a history of online posts denouncing liberal democracy and has said that the country is in the clutches of a “homo-empire” that pushes a “tyrannical LGBT agenda.”
• In her June 5 video address to the community, Pima County Health Department Director Theresa Cullen had a simple message for anyone planning to attend this Saturday’s rally at the University of Arizona: Don’t forget about COVID-19.

And just in case you missed it this past week:

• If you're looking for something to do tomorrow with the kids, Marana's Splash Pads will be opening at 10 a.m.
• If there’s a hole in your heart yearning for live music, look no further than The Gaslight Music Hall’s upcoming drive-in concerts—tickets for which are still available now.
• This week's Skinny delves into appointed U.S. Sen. Martha McSally's campaign tailspin, but if you need more evidence, here's a new Fox News poll that hit yesterday after our deadline.
• A candlelight vigil was held in memory of George Floyd here in Tucson.
• SAACA canceled its summer events and is cautiously moving forward with some of its fall and winter happenings.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 24,000 as of Friday, June 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. That's a single-day jump of more than 1,500 cases.

Pima County had 2,883 of the state's 24,332 confirmed cases.

The death toll topped 1,000 today, with 1,012 dead across the state, including 202 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 12,091.
                                                                              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.

Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on March 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that through yesterday, 1,234 Arizonans were hospitalized, a jump of 155 from the previous day. A total of 718 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 4, according to the report.
At a press conference yesterday, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ reported 8,227 staff and residents in skilled nursing facilities across Arizona have been tested for the virus. They expect to have tests done at all of these facilities by June 11.

She downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.” While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

• Ducey has ordered a statewide curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. through June 8 unless extended. The curfew order came following a weekend of unrest in Tucson and Phoenix. A protest against police violence turned violent in downtown Tucson on Friday night when rioters smashed windows, painted graffiti, and otherwise went wild in downtown Tucson.

The protest was one of many across the country following the killing of George Floyd, who died in police custody after a Minneapolis Police Officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes as the black man gasped for air and said he couldn't breathe.

NOW Arizona Gov @dougducey says there’s no trend on this bar graph showing rising CV cases. AZ No.3 in US for case spike over last week. #12News pic.twitter.com/gVB02KMVz3

— BrahmResnik (@brahmresnik) June 4, 2020

Gov. Doug Ducey said the current rise in COVID-19 cases and emergency room visits was expected when he lifted the states's stay-at-home order on May 15.

Ducey and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said at a press conference today that they anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ reported 8,227 staff and residents in skilled nursing facilities across Arizona have been tested for the virus. They expect to have tests done at all of these facilities by June 11.

She downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.”

While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

When a reporter asked if the state was willing to sacrifice people’s health in order to reopen the economy, Ducey said they mourn “every death in the state of Arizona,” and that every decision they made since the beginning of the pandemic has been to protect and save lives.

Christ and Ducey said they are focused on being able to care for the populations that are most vulnerable: those who are over 60 years old and/or have compromising medical conditions.

“We’re continuously monitoring the hospital capacity,” Christ said. “We are not in a crisis standard of care protocol right now. I don't think it will be a specific percentage that will trigger that, but looking at the totality of the data.”

Christ said there is currently a lag in the testing data, and they anticipate to see if the new cases are coming from the places specifically targeted with testing, or if it is simply community spread. As of right now, they don’t know the answer.

Starting in on the downswing of the week, let's take a look at the stories we covered for you today.

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 22,753 as of Wednesday, June 3, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. That's a jump of 530 from yesterday and a total of 2,600 new cases in the last three days.
• More than 1,000 Tucsonans attended a rally held by March For Justice Tucson, a group founded and run by young Black women, on the University of Arizona mall, in front of Old Main, on Wednesday, June 3.
• 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 District 4 candidates had to say.
• When Amira Chowdhury joined a protest in Philadelphia against police violence on Monday, she wore a mask to protect herself and others against the coronavirus. But when officers launched tear gas into the crowd, Chowdhury pulled off her mask as she gasped for air. “I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I felt like I was choking to death.”
• As the summer heat rolls in, people start looking for ways to cool off. Marana residents can add the town’s splash pads to their list of activities starting this Saturday—as long as everything goes to plan.
• Puzzle of the Day: Can You Spot the Pattern?
• With the Republican National Committee actively seeking new homes for its August convention, some in Arizona are angling for the state to get in line with the long list of other potential suitors.
• If there’s a hole in your heart yearning for live music, look no further than The Gaslight Music Hall’s upcoming drive-in concerts—tickets for which are still available now. Even better, the Oro Valley venue has three shows booked next week.

NOW Arizona Gov @dougducey says there’s no trend on this bar graph showing rising CV cases. AZ No.3 in US for case spike over last week. #12News pic.twitter.com/gVB02KMVz3

— BrahmResnik (@brahmresnik) June 4, 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.

The board’s decisions have been met with some criticism across the political spectrum, with some critics saying the county has not done enough and others saying it has gone too far, according to Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry.

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 investigated whether the county exceeded its legal authority by enacting the regulations but the AG’s Office dismissed the case on a legal technicality.

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 District 4 candidates had to say.

In District 4, which includes eastern Pima County as well as Green Valley and Sahuarita, Supervisor Steve Christy is seeking a second term and facing a challenge from John Backer in the GOP primary. The winner of that race will face Democrat Steve Diamond in November in the Republican-leaning district.

Christy voted against the closure of nonessential businesses back in March. He believes there are ways to promote public safety precautions while also allowing businesses to operate

.Christy said the county’s actions were “excessive in their force and in their meaning” and that there was no attempt by the health department or the county as a whole to “proactively engage” with businesses and find ways to keep them open while also protecting public health.