If you're out and about because you're considered essential personnel or you find that you need to get some groceries or a prescription, you will probably notice more and more people donning face masks. The CDC has recommended that people wear facemasks to combat the spread of COVID-19, and people have been scrambling to get their hands on them.

Unfortunately, there just aren't that many out there, and the N95 respirator masks and surgical masks are not recommended. Instead, the CDC is calling for people to use cloth masks, and have given step by step instructions on how to use a bandana, or even an older t-shirt.

You can find the PDF of the CDC guidance here. Their guidance is only based off of cloth masks.

Still, some people are going a step further and creating masks that can use filter inserts. Some people are using furnace filters and sewing them, while others are using folded bandanas and vacuum bag filters.

Regardless of whether you have a DIY or commercially bought mask, it helps to wear one while you're out. You can see the difference in airflow if one is worn. 

Air flow from a person breathing, talking, and coughing, with & without face mask. Visualization by @LaVisionInc pic.twitter.com/RbeEgzJu1n

— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) April 3, 2020

And hey, if you have to wear one anyway, you might as well go the extra mile and make it a fashion statement.

If you're looking for a mask I ordered mine from Los Angeles fashion designer Ngozika O’keke who is donating 1 mask to healthcare personnel and/or medical facilities in need of PPE with every purchase. Thank you @monaeatsLA for sharing! 💜https://t.co/dDGGNV4ig7 pic.twitter.com/MFINHI5icB

— jennifer pooley (@jenniferpooley) April 3, 2020

Just... probably don't go with this look...

Homemade mask reviews:

Effectiveness: 2/10

Fashion: 0/10

Dishwater scent: 10/10

Scrubbing ability: 5/10

Overall grade: 0.5/10 pic.twitter.com/9N5lFUi5zd

— Dr. Golf Shirt (@DrGolfShirt) April 5, 2020

Major League Baseball officials are kicking around the idea of starting the season with all teams at Chase Field and the various spring-training ballparks in the Phoenix area as soon as May, but without fans in the bleachers. ESPN reports:

Though the plan has a number of potential stumbling blocks, it has emerged above other options as the likeliest to work and has been embraced by MLB and MLB Players Association leadership, who are buoyed by the possibility of baseball's return and the backing of federal officials, sources said.

The plan, sources said, would dictate that all 30 teams play games at stadiums with no fans in the Phoenix area, including the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field, 10 spring training facilities and perhaps other nearby fields. Players, coaching staffs and other essential personnel would be sequestered at local hotels, where they would live in relative isolation and travel only to and from the stadium, sources said. Federal officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the National Institutes of Health have been supportive of a plan that would adhere to strict isolation, promote social distancing and allow MLB to become the first professional sport to return.

Major League Baseball is out with a statement this morning saying that various plans are under consideration to take us out to the ballgame again:

MLB has been actively considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health situation has improved to the point that it is safe to do so. While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option, we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan. While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials, or the Players Association. The health and safety of our employees, players, fans and the public at large are paramount, and we are not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors approved Betty Villegas as the new District 5 Supervisor in a 3-1 vote during this morning's meeting. District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy was the lone vote against Villegas.

The Elias family expressed their wish for Villegas to take over the District 5 seat after Supervisor Richard Elias died of a heart attack last month. Villegas is the former housing program manager for the Pima County Housing Center and also ran for Legislative District 3 in 2018.

District 3 Supervisor Sharon Bronson made the motion to appoint Villegas to fill the seat immediately due to urgent issues during this unprecedented time. The motion was seconded by Valadez.

The criteria to be appointed to the board are:

• Must be the same political party; in this case Democrat
• Must be a registered voter
• Must be a resident of Arizona
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must be able to read and write english

Supervisor Christy expressed concern before the vote, stating he wanted to stick to "protocol and tradition" of former appointments to the board to ensure "full transparency." Christy said he wanted an application process, followed by a League of Women Voters symposium where potential candidates "discuss their qualifications" and board members would have the ability to ask questions.

Valadez reminded Christy that every appointment for 32 years -from Dan Eckstrom in 1988 to Valadez's own appointment in 2003- has been done through legislative appointment. Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney Andrew Flagg confirmed Valadez's statement.

County supervisors also passed a proclamation dedicating the month of April 2020 to the memory of Supervisor Elias, asking departments to create an appropriate memorial for “remembrance and reflection”, said Chairman Ramon Valadez.

“The Friday before his passing, he and I were on the phone and we talked about what was going on. We talked about each of you. We talked about his family, his wife, his daughter, and he had such concern and compassion for each one of us. And he was concerned for each of you.”

TW staff reporter Kathleen B. Kunz profiled Villegas in 2018:

Villegas, who is running for an LD-3 Senate seat, said her campaign is focused on housing reform. For 17 years, she served as the Affordable Housing Program Manager for Pima County. Villegas said there’s no one in the current Arizona legislature who has experience with affordable housing issues.

“In District 3, 50 percent of the people are paying over 50 percent of their income towards housing expense,” she said. “It’s not going to be too much longer before we’re another San Diego. The cost of housing is continuing to go up, and we need to find new ways of trying to help and trying to cut that."

Villegas is also a long-time local volunteer who has served on numerous commissions in the Tucson area. She said those experiences gave her an deeper understanding about her community before she ran for office.

“It’s so important to be civically engaged and community engaged. It gives you a voice at the table, and as a Latina, we are sometimes missing at that table,” she said. “On the historic preservation commission, I’m the only person of color there. So I’m constantly telling the people that appoint me and that appoint others: ‘We really need to get a more diverse commission.’"

 

The COVID-19 outbreak has drastically changed society’s normal daily routines as people stay home from work and school in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

But what if your home isn’t the safest place for you?

Across Arizona, organizations that provide crucial services to survivors of domestic violence are focused on helping them stay safe during what is a very stressful time for everyone, but a potentially dangerous time for those facing abuse.

“We can all imagine the idea that if the threat is outside of our doors, we often retreat to our homes and we want to lock the door and that’s the way we feel safe,” said Ed Mercurio-Sakwa, the CEO of Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse. “But when the threat is inside the home, telling people ‘Do not leave your home’ is a really scary idea.”

Emerge! operates an emergency shelter for survivors, a 24/7 bilingual crisis helpline, prevention and intervention services, support groups and several education-based programs aimed at ending domestic abuse. They are the largest organization in Southern Arizona dedicated to helping domestic abuse survivors, and all of their services are still available during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mercurio-Sakwa said Emerge is experiencing an increase in the number of people reaching out for help. While there’s a wide variety of reasons for that, he said social distancing is the exact thing that can be detrimental to someone who is dealing with violence in their home.

“Isolation is a really commonly used tactic in abusive relationships,” he said. “It’s a way to keep people away from support systems that might help them navigate that safety issue in their relationship. It’s a way to keep people away from somebody that might contradict what that abusive partner is saying. Someone who might say ‘That doesn’t sound right’ or ‘That doesn’t sound like a healthy relationship’ or ‘That sounds really scary.’”

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona had reached 2,456 as of Monday, April 6, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 415 of the state’s confirmed cases.

The coronavirus had killed 65 people statewide, including 13 in Pima County, according to yesterday’s report from the Pima County Health Department.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 1,433.

Gov. Doug Ducey started the weekend on Friday by narrowing the list of “essential businesses” that are allowed to remain open under his stay-at-home order, saying that barbershops; cosmetology, hairstyling, nail salons, and aesthetic salons; tanning salons; tattoo parlors; spa, massage parlors, and swap meets all had to close by 5 p.m. Saturday.

Ducey also order closed basketball courts, splash pads, playgrounds, and public restrooms in public parks and said that communal pools at hotels, condominiums, apartment complexes and parks must be closed. The expanded list of shuttered businesses and amenities comes after Ducey faced criticism by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and others that he had allowed too many businesses to remain open under a list of "essential services."

Under the stay-at-home order, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies. They can also go work, pick up a take-out meal from a restaurant, travel to take care of a family member, friend or pet, and can still go walking, hiking, biking and golfing, provided that they adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Health care workers remain desperately short of personal protective gear across the state, but Gov. Doug Ducey announced that Honeywell had agreed to produce more than 6 million N95 masks for the state. Honeywell had announced last week that it would producing the masks at its Phoenix manufacturing plant.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona has reached 2,269 as of Sunday, April 5, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 372 confirmed cases, a jump of 46 over yesterday’s 326.

The coronavirus had killed 64 people statewide, including 12 in Pima County, according to yesterday’s report from the Pima County Health Department.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 1,326, a jump of 155 from yesterday’s 1,171.

Gov. Doug Ducey started the weekend on Friday by narrowing the list of “essential businesses” that are allowed to remain open under his stay-at-home order, saying that barbershops; cosmetology, hairstyling, nail salons, and aesthetic salons; tanning salons; tattoo parlors; spa, massage parlors, and swap meets all had to close by 5 p.m. yesterday.

Ducey also order closed basketball courts, splash pads, playgrounds, and public restrooms in public parks and said that communal pools at hotels, condominiums, apartment complexes, and parks must be closed but maintained by management. The expanded list of shuttered businesses and amenities comes after Ducey faced criticism by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and others that he had allowed too many businesses to remain open under a list of "essential services."

Under the stay-at-home order, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies. They can also go work, pick up a take-out meal from a restaurant, travel to take care of a family member, friend or pet, and can still go walking, hiking, biking and golfing, provided that they adhere to social distancing guidelines.

“Slowing the spread of COVID-19 will ensure we build capacity in our healthcare system, and help protect the lives of those we love most,” Ducey said Monday. “It’s important to emphasize that there are no plans to shut down grocery stores. People should continue to buy what you need for a week’s worth of groceries."

Health care workers remain desperately short of personal protective gear across the state, but Gov. Doug Ducey announced that Honeywell had agreed to produce more than 6 million N95 masks for the state. Honeywell had announced last week that it would producing the masks at its Phoenix manufacturing plant.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona has topped 2,000, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 326 of the state’s confirmed 2,019 cases.

The coronavirus had killed 52 people statewide, including 11 in Pima County.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 1,171.

Gov. Doug Ducey yesterday narrowed the list of “essential businesses” that are allowed to remain open under his stay-at-home order, saying that barbershops; cosmetology, hairstyling, nail salons, and aesthetic salons; tanning salons; tattoo parlors; spa, massage parlors, and swap meets all must close by 5 p.m. today.

Ducey also called for the closing of basketball courts, splash pads, playgrounds, and public restrooms in public parks and said that communal pools at hotels, condominiums, apartment complexes, and parks should be closed but maintained by management. The expanded list of shuttered businesses and amenities comes after Ducey faced criticism by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and others that he had allowed too many businesses to remain open under a list of "essential services."

Under the stay-at-home order, Arizonans are still able to shop for groceries, medical and household needs, and pet supplies. They can also go work, pick up a take-out meal from a restaurant, travel to take care of a family member, friend or pet, and can still go walking, hiking, biking and golfing, provided that they adhere to social distancing guidelines.

“Slowing the spread of COVID-19 will ensure we build capacity in our healthcare system, and help protect the lives of those we love most,” Ducey said Monday. “It’s important to emphasize that there are no plans to shut down grocery stores. People should continue to buy what you need for a week’s worth of groceries."

Here's a roundup of stories we've been following today:

• Pima County has 280 of the state's confirmed 1,769 COVID-19 cases as of this morning's report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. A total of 41 people had died statewide, including 11 in Pima County. Details here.

• Gov. Doug Ducey expanded his stay-at-home order by telling a new set of businesses they had to close by 5 p.m. tomorrow: barbershops; cosmetology, hairstyling, nail salons, and aesthetic salons; tanning salons; tattoo parlors; spa, massage parlors, and swap meets. In the parks, Ducey called for the closing of basketball courts, splash pads, playgrounds, and public restrooms. He also said communal pools at hotels, condominiums, apartment complexes, and parks should be closed by maintained by management. The expanded list of shuttered businesses and amenities comes after Ducey faced criticism by Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and others that he had allowed too many businesses to remain open under a list of "essential services."

• Pima County closed most of its county-run shooting ranges—Southeast Regional Park Shooting Range, Southeast Archery Range, Southeast Clay Target Center, and Tucson Mountain Park Rifle and Pistol Range—because it could no longer provide qualified staffers to keep on eye on things. The county has left open the Tucson Mountain Park Archery Range, along with the Virgil Ellis Rifle and Pistol Range in Ajo, because both are unstaffed.

• The Weekly has an expanded online list of restaurants doing takeout and delivery. Consider supporting your local eateries by picking up little dinner this weekend.

• If you've lost your job lately and need some financial help with young children in the home, the Pima County Health Department may be able to help.

• The labor union for Arizona's prison guards is demanding that all correctional officers be allowed to wear personal protective equipment.

• The UA Cooperative Extension has teamed up with a 4-H program to create face shields and other personal protective equipment, which remains in short supply across the nation.

• Pima County suggests you put together an emergency plan for pet care during the outbreak.

• The Tucson tourism sector is taking a big hit.

Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered barber shops, beauty parlors, nail salons, tattoo parlors and several other businesses to close by 5 p.m. Saturday, April. 4.

He also said parks should close basketball courts, playgrounds and other recreational amenities, but said that parks should remain open as much as possible.

While Ducey issued a stay-at-home on Monday, some local officials, including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, have been calling on him to narrow his order to include the above businesses and others because they pose a risk of spreading COVID-19, the highly infectious novel coronavirus which is sweeping across Arizona and the rest of the United States.

“During these unprecedented times, providing clarity for small businesses and employers is an important measure to ensure we protect our citizens, slow the spread of COVID-19, and protect this critical part of our economy,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “As guidance from public health officials evolves, we will continue to release information and direction.”

Among the businesses that must close: barber shops; cosmetology, hairstyling, nail salons and aesthetic salons; tanning salons; tattoo parlors; spa, massage parlors and swap meets.

In the parks, Ducey called for the closing of basketball courts, splash pads, playgrounds and public restrooms.

He also said communal pools at hotels, condominiums, apartment complexes and parks should be closed by maintained by management.

The coronavirus had killed 41 people statewide, including 11 in Pima County, as of Friday, April 3, according to the morning report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 1,049. Pima County had 280 of the 1,769 cases of COVID-19 that had been confirmed in Arizona.

Yesterday the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association—a labor union representing correctional officers in prisons throughout the state—demanded that all officers wear personal protective equipment such as face masks during work, due to the high risk of COVID-19 infection.

This move is in response to Arizona Department of Corrections Director David Shinn's direct order that employees not wear PPE in prisons. The AZCPOA wrote in a press release that Shinn, Governor Doug Ducey, and Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Crist have all "utterly failed" to protect correctional officers, incarcerated people and the general public from COVID-19.

"Contrary to Director Shinn, COVID19 is in the Arizona prisons," the release states. "Officers have tested positive for COVID19 in Winslow and Tucson prisons. ADC concealed officers' positive test results from coworkers. ADC only admitted to COVID19 results after AZCPOA revealed the positive results to the media."

The association says ADC's "complete disregard for public health" has caused over 100 correctional officers to be sent home from work due to flu-like symptoms, who were then allowed back to work within three days without any testing.