Thursday, March 25, 2021
With 138 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases nears 838,000 as of Thursday, March 25, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 47 new cases today, has seen 112,045 of the state’s 837,987 confirmed cases.
With 32 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,874 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,339 deaths in Pima County, according to the March 25 report.
A total of 628 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 24. That’s roughly 12% 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 973 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on March 24. That number represents 41% 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 165 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on March 24, which roughly 14% 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.
State continues to block effort to vaccinate 210 Pima County residents in low-income, minority neighborhoods
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a resolution requesting Gov. Doug Ducey reconsider denying permission to set up a federal vaccination POD in Pima County.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Board of Supervisors Calls on Ducey To Reconsider His Decision To Block FEMA Vax Site in Pima County
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a resolution requesting Gov. Doug Ducey reconsider denying permission to set up a federal vaccination POD in Pima County.
The board also voted to seek help from the federal government if declined a second time at an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
The county would request “the Biden Administration, in keeping with their National Strategy Goals for COVID-19 vaccination, direct the Department of Homeland Security Secretary and the Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator to establish a Type 1 Federal vaccination center to provide vaccine opportunities to disadvantaged and minority communities.”
At a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Ducey said he would reconsider Pima County’s request to allow a federal POD vaccination site in Pima County, but only because “'Board of Supervisors feel so strongly about it, but the objective is going to remain putting shots in arms.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) first approached Pima County Health Department Director, Dr. Theresa Cullen, on the possibility of establishing a COVID-19 vaccination POD in Pima County about two weeks ago, according to County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry's March 24 memo.
However, the request required approval by the state and Ducey, through Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ, declined. While Ducey said he would revisit the request, the reasons given for declining remain the same.
In a letter in response to Christ, FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Tammy L. Littrell addressed each of Christ’s concerns about the federal POD taking vaccine supply, lacking state oversight and partnership, and concerns about customer experience and delays. Littrell said the vaccine supply provided to the state POD is independent of the vaccine supply that would be allocated for the federal POD. Further FEMA is seeking an “active partnership” with the state and “concerns for hours-long waits as the norm are unfounded.”
According to Huckelberry’s March 24 memo, county officials were told the state rejected the request because the site would require state support and support is unavailable.
Pima County will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility on Thursday to anyone 55 and older and anyone older than 16 with at-risk circumstances.
Starting Thursday, anyone living with a high-risk medical condition or disability, experiencing homelessness or living in a group setting, or receiving in-home or long-term care can get the vaccine. Some of the high-risk medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, heart conditions or compromised immunity.
Those in high-risk jobs will also be elgible.
Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Monday that all Arizona residents older than 16 could get vaccinated starting Wednesday. Pima County's guidelines had to be limited, said Dr. Theresa Cullen, Health Department director.
“We realize that this is not fully aligned with what Governor Ducey announced earlier this week; however, our decisions are based on the current vaccination rates for 55 and up (which is at 42%), as well as our commitment to ensure ongoing access to vulnerable populations, Cullen said. “We anticipate appointments will be filled quickly and as we move these groups, we look forward to being able to align with the state's recommendations within the next six weeks.”
Photos were shot in and around the Tucson Mountains, especially in Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West. All photos were shot with an iPhone 6, except for a few recent ones on an iPhone 12. There is no photo manipulation except the color filters in-camera. These are all straight shots.
With 605 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 837,000 as of Wednesday, March 24, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Pima County, which reported 48 new cases today, has seen 111,998 of the state’s 837,849 confirmed cases.
With 53 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 16,842 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,338 deaths in Pima County, according to the March 24 report.
A total of 653 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of March 23. That’s roughly 13% 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 1,109 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on March 23. 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 162 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on March 23, which roughly 13% 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.
Local mayors ask Ducey to reconsider decision to block FEMA from setting up vaccination sites in Pima County
Pima County officials have been working with FEMA staff in recent weeks on various vaccination efforts. FEMA and Pima County were in talks to set up vaccination clinics at the Kino Event Center and El Pueblo Community Center, two sites that are now being converted into walk-in vaccination clinics. The clinics would have provided enough doses to vaccinate an estimated 210,000 Pima County residents, many of them minority and low income.
Standing side by side in the midday sun, two women sort through a box filled with peanut butter, bread, rice and all kinds of canned goods.
“Here’s some cat food,” Elvia Schwenke says.
“Oh, yay!” Laura Stiltner replies as she stacks the items into eight old school lockers that sit outside the Oracle Community Center. “Take what you need. Leave what you can,” an adjacent sign reads.
The metal lockers have been converted into little pantries that serve one big purpose: to fight food insecurity in the unincorporated community of about 4,000 north of Tucson.
“We started seeing a lot of families that were out of work, the kids being home all the time,” said Stiltner, who with Schwenke serves on the community center’s board. “It was kind of motivation to say: We’ve got to do something to help people that just need food and basics right now.
“It makes you feel good inside to know you’re helping people.”
Oracle launched the project in September as a part of the Little Free Pantry movement, one of several efforts worldwide in which people donate food and goods and house them in a neighborhood space to be used by anyone who needs help.
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Steve Roach, Tucson’s resident electronic music pioneer, is hosting a three-day gathering of “sonic innovators and ambient architects” this weekend. SoundQuest Fest runs from Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28, and will include a variety of local and international musicians, including Robert Rich, Serena Gabriel, Erik Wøllo, Michael Stearns, Madhavi Devi and more.
SoundQuest Fest is a free livestream concert series of ambient, New Age and electronic music that will run as a “continuous flow of streamed performances, audio-video wonder-worlds and deep immersion zones” from Roach’s YouTube channel.
Roach describes the music festival’s mission is to "create three days of global connection, togetherness, and inspiration through the power of sound and vision during this consequential and unique moment in time.”
Each night before the opening concert, "Timeroom TV" will feature music videos, sponsor features and interviews from the Soundquest musicians and more.
SoundQuest Fest debuted as a live festival in Tucson in 2010. But this online edition allows for performances from musicians around the world, all while keeping spectators safe.
Performing musicians: Robert Rich, Steve Roach, Michael Stearns, Erik Wøllo, Ian Boddy, Jeff Greinke, Chuck van Zyl, Serena Gabriel, Chris Meyer (Alias Zone), Nathan Youngblood, Will Merkle, Caldon Glover, Tony Obr, Howard Givens, Madhavi Devi and Craig Padilla. Audio-visual sets are provided by Bluetech, Matt Black and Daniel Pipitone.
The transcendence begins at 4 p.m. Friday, March 26.
For more information, visit soundquestfest.live.
“As we’re rushing to vaccinate all Arizonans, it’s absurd that the state would reject an offer from the federal government to bring hundreds of thousands of doses to Southern Arizona," Grijalva said. "Arizona was a hotspot during multiple waves of the pandemic, and the State’s decision to not undertake every effort to vaccinate every Arizonan is a dereliction of duty and will only leave us more vulnerable to the virus."
Grijalva said Ducey was playing politics while lives were on the line.
“I’ve voiced my support to FEMA regarding Pima County’s efforts to get these federal resources so that we ensure that Pima County residents are vaccinated as quickly as possible," Grijalva said. "I will do everything possible to direct resources to my district despite roadblocks from the state. For the state to play politics with people’s lives after more than 16,000 of our friends, family members, and loved ones have died of the virus is beyond the pale.”
