As Monday comes to a close, let's take a look at some of the stories we covered for you today.

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 14,000 as of Monday, May 18, jumping by more than 1,000 cases since Friday, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
• Floaters are common in hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies, and they play a critical role in making sure that these facilities have enough staff to properly care for patients. But in a pandemic, workers who pitch in at multiple sites could be at higher risk of both contracting and spreading the coronavirus, forming an overlooked link in the chain of transmission.
• If there’s any doubt that wildfire poses a high risk to property in Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service would like to paint a different picture – in blazing reds and flaming yellows.
• An Omaha, Nebraska-based private jet company whose principal owner donated generously to Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2016 election received $20 million in taxpayer aid from the federal bailout package passed in March.
• The Pima County Board of Supervisors are allowing the public to attend and speak at tomorrow's meeting but attendees will need to follow new COVID-19 guidelines.
  
• As if fighting fires wasn’t dangerous enough, firefighters now have to worry about COVID-19 while they’re on the job, making for what fire officials say will be the “most challenging season we’re going to have.”
  
• Stephan Lewandowsky studies the way people think, and in particular, why they engage in conspiracy theories.
• The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is looking for any information leading to the location of Martin Valenzuela, 60, who was last seen around noon on Monday.
• As if fighting fires wasn’t dangerous enough, firefighters now have to worry about COVID-19 while they’re on the job, making for what fire officials say will be the “most challenging season we’re going to have.”
• The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona recently received a leg up from Crest Insurance in the form of a $35,000 check.
  
• Hikers will be required to wear face masks and stay at least six feet apart from other visitors to Tumamoc Hill once the popular outdoor attraction reopens Memorial Day, next Monday, May 25.
  
• Despite news of a filing for bankruptcy protection and a national pandemic, JCPenney will reopen its Tucson store Wednesday, May 20, the company announced Monday.
• Tucson rock band The Living Breathing recently released a music video for their song "Take It Easy," which was originally released on their 2019 album What Is Me?

Despite news of a filing for bankruptcy protection and a national pandemic, JCPenney will reopen its Tucson store Wednesday, May 20, the company announced Monday.

“We are thrilled to welcome our associates and customers back to JCPenney in Tucson, and our top priority remains on the health and safety of our associates, customers, and communities,” said Jim DePaul, executive vice president of stores at JCPenney, in the statement announcing the reopening. “We want to ensure everyone is safe and feels comfortable as we continue to provide an engaging shopping experience.”

The location located at the Tucson Spectrum shopping center, 5265 S. Calle Santa Cruz, will open Wednesday and take precautions “to provide a safe environment in which to shop and work,” including contact-free curbside pickup, store cleaning throughout the day, social distancing guidelines, masks for employees and plexiglass shields at registers.

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Stephan Lewandowsky studies the way people think, and in particular, why they engage in conspiracy theories. So when the cognitive scientist from England’s University of Bristol observes wild speculation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, he sees how it fits into the historical pattern of misinformation and fake news.

I recently wrote about the viral video “Plandemic” as an investigative reporter assessing the range of unsubstantiated COVID-19 allegations put forth by a controversial researcher. Lewandowsky comes at the video and others like it from a science-based perspective. He is one of the authors of “The Conspiracy Theory Handbook,” which explains the traits of conspiratorial thinking.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors are allowing the public to attend and speak at tomorrow's meeting but attendees will need to follow new COVID-19 guidelines.

Participants will need to undergo a wellness check and sanitize their hands before entering the hearing room. Anyone who has a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher or exhibits COVID-19 or influenza-like symptoms will not be admitted, according to the county's new guidelines.

Attendees will also be required to wear a mask at all times and maintain a six-foot physical distance between each other while in the hearing room. Access will be limited to accommodate physical distancing requirements.

The county is expected to continue discussions on whether or not county employees will be allowed to continue telecommuting, in addition to other agenda items. During the executive session, the county officials will also discuss their legal response to a recently filed complaint with the Arizona Attorney General's Office regarding updates to the county health code during the pandemic.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 14,000 as of Monday, May 18, jumping by more than 1,000 cases since Friday, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 1,825 of the state's 14,170 confirmed cases.

The coronavirus had killed 686 people statewide, including 157 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 7,340.

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 and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.

Arizona's stay-at-home order expired at the end of Friday, May 15. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced last week that gyms, pools and movie theaters can now reopen. Ducey also invited major-league sports to play in Arizona, although he said it would have to be without fans in the audience.

Ducey gave the green light for for restaurants and bars that offer food service to reopen last week. Restrictions were previously lifted on stores, barber shops and salons.

Ducey said he hoped that schools would be able to reopen in the fall but was yet not ready to make that call.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said last week that Ducey was moving forward too quickly on reopening the state.

"As eager as we all are to return to any sense of normalcy, I believe that the Governor is moving too quickly and that we should proceed methodically and cautiously to prevent a re-emergence that would be even more damaging to our economy in the long-run," Romero said. "Dr. Fauci and our nation's top health experts testified earlier this week that without widespread testing and a robust contact tracing plan in place, states that are re-opening risk a second wave of the virus. Although some improvements have been made, we lag the rest of the country in both areas. I don’t want our economy to just re-open, I want it to remain open. That will not happen if there is a second wave of the virus and we are forced to shut down again."

Dr. Bob England, the director of the Pima County Health Department, said people who are vulnerable to COVID-19 should continue to take precautions.

"Just know that if you're vulnerable, if you're older, if you have underlying health conditions that put you at higher risk, then please, please, please hunker down for a while longer," England cautioned.

Happy Friday, and Congratulations to the University of Arizona Class of 2020!

Here are the stories we covered today:

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 13,000 as of Friday, May 15, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
• Fast-Med Urgent Care has announced that the healthcare centers have two locations open for COVID-19 testing in Tucson.
• Within a few weeks, the Federal Reserve will start a $600 billion lending program that the Trump administration says will help 40,000 midsized businesses that employ 35 million Americans.
• On Tuesday, May 12, Forbes published a list detailing the 10 US cities best poised to economically recover from coronavirus – as well as the 10 worst.
• Last November, Rick Bright, then the director of a federal office that approves funding for medical emergencies, sat in on a meeting between his boss and two men — a pharmaceutical and biotech consultant and an Emory University professor — seeking millions of dollars for an unproven drug.
• The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines this week to update health code regulations for restaurants and bars to reduce transmission of COVID-19, but three state lawmakers are asking the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to step in and force the county to rescind the rules.
• Although Gov. Doug Ducey has allowed gyms to reopen this week, runners who enjoy the social aspect of group activities will likely have to wait longer before they see an opportunity to join an organized pack.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 along party lines this week to update health code regulations for restaurants and bars to reduce transmission of COVID-19, but three state lawmakers are asking the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to step in and force the county to rescind the rules.

State Sen. Vince Leach and state Reps. Mark Finchem and Bret Roberts say that the county is exceeding its authority in creating the regulations and have asked Attorney General Mark Brnovich for an investigation.

"We've seen throughout this crisis how important it is to balance health concerns with the need to reopen businesses and get Arizonans back to work," Leach said in a prepared statement. "Gov. Ducey and the Legislature have been working with experts to find that balance and determine the best course of action for the entire state. It is unfortunate that Pima County is taking actions that are not consistent with the state. The cumbersome regulations in its proclamation will not facilitate an easy reopening for businesses."

Members of the county’s Back to Business Bars and Restaurants Task Force said that while they helped create guidelines and best practices, they didn’t think their recommendations would become regulations with fines attached.

“We offered to help be a part of this from the very beginning and now we’re the ones being targeted with fines,” said Ray Flores, owner of El Charro and its related restaurants. “If it’s really about public health and human safety, then all businesses should have to go through this. This is not a restaurant problem, this is a human population problem.”

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona topped 13,000 as of Friday, May 15, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. ‹

Pima County had 1,750 of the state's 13,169 confirmed cases.

The coronavirus had killed 651 people statewide, including 155 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 6,821.

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 and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.

Arizona's stay-at-home order expires today. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced this week that gyms, pools and movie theaters can now reopen. Ducey also invited major-league sports to play in Arizona, although he said it would have to be without fans in the audience.

Ducey had already given the green light for restaurants and bars that offer food service to reopen this week. Restrictions were lifted on stores, barber shops and salons last week.

Ducey said he hoped that schools would be able to reopen in the fall but was yet not ready to make that call.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said yesterday that Ducey was moving forward too quickly on reopening the state.

"As eager as we all are to return to any sense of normalcy, I believe that the Governor is moving too quickly and that we should proceed methodically and cautiously to prevent a re-emergence that would be even more damaging to our economy in the long-run," Romero said. "Dr. Fauci and our nation's top health experts testified earlier this week that without widespread testing and a robust contact tracing plan in place, states that are re-opening risk a second wave of the virus. Although some improvements have been made, we lag the rest of the country in both areas. I don’t want our economy to just re-open, I want it to remain open. That will not happen if there is a second wave of the virus and we are forced to shut down again."

That's another Thursday in the books. Here are some of the stories we've covered today.

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona reached 12,674 of Thursday, May 14, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
• Casa Video and Film Bar is open for business for the first time since quarantine measures closed all non-essential businesses in Tucson in late March.
• Starting on Friday, May 15, CVS Health will be operating three new drive-thru testing sites in the Tucson area as part of a nationwide response to COVID-19.
• The Pima County Board of Supervisors adopted a set of temporary regulations to help restaurant owners expand their outside dining area while under new indoor occupancy restrictions during Wednesday's emergency meeting.
• Guest Commentary from Councilmember Richard Fimbres: Voting by Mail, Your Life May Depend On It.
• Parks and trails in Arizona continue to be a source of solace and relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday, via teleconference, about the power to investigate the president.
• Faced with the stay-home orders and social distancing brought on by the coronavirus, campaigning has become a little more involved.
• Oro Valley is bringing in a new company to manage the town-owned golf courses.
• Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said today that Gov. Doug Ducey is moving too quickly by allowing the state's stay-at-home order to expire after tomorrow.
• Dr. Bob England, director of the Pima County Health Department, clarified how the county health department would enforce the new guidelines approved by the Pima County Board of Supervisors yesterday.

Dr. Bob England, director of the Pima County Health Department, clarified how the county health department would enforce the new guidelines approved by the Pima County Board of Supervisors yesterday.

"We are not going to have people sitting in the bushes while you eat," Dr. Bob said. "If there's one thing I've learned about our registered sanitarians and others in the year I've been here, it's that they want to help businesses do the right thing."

Education and assistance will be the health department's focus while the new regulations are in place, Dr. Bob said. The regulations will stay in place until the pandemic is declared over by Pima County's chief medical officer, Dr. Francisco Garcia.

"Actual enforcement of any kind is going to be a last resort," Dr. Bob said. "We want all of us to continue to do what we know we should to prevent transmission in this disease."

Dr. Bob also wanted to let businesses know that the county health department will be unable to assist them with procuring the necessary PPE to protect their staff. They don't have any to share and are still waiting on orders they placed two months ago.

"We can't give away stuff we don't have," Dr. Bob said. "We have a lot of material on backorder since March."

The county is expecting a large shipment of N-95 masks which will be going straight to health care workers, Dr. Bob said. He also cautioned against using an N-95 mask if you are not trained. Improper use could pose a risk for catching COVID-19, according to Dr. Bob.

"You need to be fit tested or at the very least trained to use it," Dr, Bob said. "If you put on an N-95 mask and you don't know what you're doing, you're going to draw air in around the side that's unfiltered."