Wednesday, March 17, 2021
With 445 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 834,000 as of Wednesday, March 17, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 56 new cases today, has seen 111,427 of the state’s 834,323 confirmed cases.
With 12 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,586 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,308 deaths in Pima County, according to the March 17 report.
A total of 773 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 16. That’s roughly 15% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.
A total of 1,095 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on March 16. That number represents 47% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.
A total of 208 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on March 15, which is roughly 17% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to direct $2 million in federal coronavirus relief funds, as permitted by law, to support eviction defense services to eligible residents.
This comes in response to an increase in evictions during the pandemic, as residents face financial hardships due to job loss or other factors.
“Until now, tenants have been represented by lawyers in eviction hearings less than 1 percent of the time, while landlords have had legal counsel 88 percent of the time,” said District 2 Supervisor Math Heinz, who voted yes. “Our action today will help keep roofs over the heads of thousands of Pima County families.”
District 4 Supervisor Steve Christy was the one dissenting vote.
Christy expressed concern that landlords and property owners were not considered during this process, as many of them are family-owned businesses who rely on rent as their sole income and have been “demonized and completely put aside.”
He also emphasized that the funds should instead be used to provide what he said is actually needed: rental assistance.
“Rental assistance is the only thing that 100% stops evictions for nonpayment of rent,” said Christy.
The county will be allocating $15.1 million for rental and utility assistance to both tenants and property owners through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, said Heinz.
In order to receive support, Pima County residents would need to prove that they have suffered a loss of income or financial hardship due to the pandemic, cannot afford legal counsel and are facing or will imminently face eviction filing for either non-payment of rent or “material non-compliance” with the lease.
With 497 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases closed in on 834,000 as of Tuesday, March 16, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 56 new cases today, has seen 111,400 of the state’s 833,878 confirmed cases.
With 21 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,574 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,304 deaths in Pima County, according to the March 15 report.
A total of 743 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 15. That’s roughly 15% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.
A total of 837 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms ron March 15. That number represents 36% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.
WASHINGTON – The Senate Monday confirmed New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as the next Interior secretary, a historic vote that makes her the first Native American to head a Cabinet agency.
The confirmation came over the objection of Senate Republicans, particularly those representing Western states dependent on fossil fuels, who have called Haaland an environmental extremist.
But Democrats – and four Republicans who voted to confirm the nomination – pointed to Haaland’s reputation as a bipartisan House member as well as the historic nature of her nomination.
“The confirmation of Deb Haaland is amazing,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the 51-40 confirmation vote. “It creates a government that more embodies the full richness and diversity of this country.”
Critics for weeks had been attacking Haaland’s record in the House, where she was a member of the Natural Resources Committee and took stands in support of the Green New Deal and against the Keystone XL Pipeline.
During a confirmation hearing last month, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., one of the most vocal opponents of Haaland’s nomination, questioned her on her views on fossil fuels and their impact on state economies.
“We should not undermine America’s energy production, and we should not hurt our own economy,” Barrasso said then.
Other GOP senators also criticized what they called Haaland’s “radical” views that they said are “squarely at odds with the mission of the Department of the Interior and outside of the mainstream.” When they tried to pin her down on issues, Haaland repeatedly said she would merely carry out White House policy, leading some senators to charge that the two-term Democrat is unprepared to head Interior.
Monday, March 15, 2021
WASHINGTON – Arizona health officials said the state is already on track to meet President Joe Biden’s challenge of allowing all adults to register for COVID-19 vaccinations by May 1.
The directive came Thursday night, the anniversary of the declaration of a COVID-19 pandemic, during Biden’s first nationally televised address as president. He mourned the loss of more than a half-million Americans to the disease but also painted an optimistic picture of the future – including his call for all states to throw open vaccine eligibility by May 1.
“Let me be clear: That doesn’t mean everyone’s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you’ll be able to get in line beginning May 1,” Biden said.
It is unclear what authority Biden has to enforce a deadline, but the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services on Friday called May 1 “a very doable timeline.”
Dr. Cara Christ, the health department director, said that counties are moving at their own pace but that all are currently expected to open eligibility to those 16 years and older by May.
To date, counties have limited registration to phases, with older, ailing and essential workers getting first crack. As of Friday, four counties were administering vaccines to people 65 and older, while nine more had lowered the threshold to people 55 and older.
Two counties, Gila and Greenlee, have already started allowing anyone older than 16 to register for a shot.
