Thursday, July 16, 2020
A $360 billion stimulus program that offers disaster relief to small businesses has been hobbled by delays and confusion, leaving millions of applicants harmed by the coronavirus pandemic waiting months for grants and loans — if the funds ever came at all.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, or EIDL (pronounced “idle”), was supposed to give small businesses grants and low-cost loans to help with the economic fallout from COVID-19. Though EIDL has gotten less attention than the $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program, 8 million small businesses have applied since it was opened to coronavirus-related applications in March. Unlike PPP, the EIDL loans come directly from the government and small businesses can use them for six months’ worth of general operating expenses, not just payroll.
But the Small Business Administration took months to process the loans, with an average wait of 41 days, according to congressional testimony from the official in charge of the program, Associate Administrator James Rivera. At a July 1 hearing, Rivera said the SBA has stepped up its pace and was now processing applications in five days, with 99% of approved funds deposited.
The comments came during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing that looked at the December 2018 deaths of Jakelin Caal Maquín, 7, and Felipe Gómez Alonzo, 8, from sepsis and a severe bacterial infection.
The Department of Homeland Security determined the children died of natural causes. But witnesses said the children did not have to die.
“Death by natural causes does not mean that death was inevitable, and lack of misconduct or malfeasance, or even the great efforts several agents went to … does not absolve CBP as an agency of perpetuating systems that place children at risk for medical neglect,” said Dr. Fiona Danaher, an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard.
But Republicans on the committee were quick to jump to the defense of agents, who they said provided the best care they could.
Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, who is also a physician, called Danaher’s testimony “blatantly partisan,” and said her claims that CBP facilities are unhygienic were false.
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Shanghai Triad
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Pima County had seen 12,697 of the state's 134,613 confirmed cases.
A total of 2,492 people have died after contracting the virus.
Maricopa County has 88,954 of the state's cases.
Hospitals remain under pressure. The report shows that 3,454 COVID patients were hospitalized yesterday in the state.
A total of 1,695 people visited ERs yesterday.
A total of 918 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds yesterday.
With cases on the rise, concern continues to mount about opening schools next month. Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said last week that while states that have taken more aggressive steps earlier to slow the spread of the virus will be able to reopen schools, he can’t see the same thing happening in Arizona.
“We just have too much community spread,” Humble said.
Humble, who headed up the Arizona Department of Health Services in the administration of former Gov. Jan Brewer, said there are two main factors to consider when opening schools in the fall: mitigation measures alongside the level of community spread within a school district.
“School districts have some really creative folks and I think they could put some effective mitigation measures in place that would make it safe to open schools if we didn’t have so much community spread,” Humble said. “Because we have the level of community spread that we have, I just don’t see that mitigation measures, which help but don’t eliminate transmission, are going to be adequate to make it a safe environment for teachers and schools and families.”
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
- The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona climbed past 131K as of Wednesday, July 15, after the state reported 3,257 new cases this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
- The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block announced that it will reopen its doors on Thursday, July 30.
- As the August 17 school start date grows closer, TUSD has created a unique reopening plan with a completely virtual learning model.
- As fire crews work to snuff out the last hotspots of the Bighorn Fire, a lengthy cleanup process begins.
- The Bar Exam has long been seen as the moment of reckoning for hopeful law students, but with Arizona COVID cases skyrocketing, the test pressure is higher than ever before.
- The July 4th holiday saw examples of what you have correctly called ‘bad actors’ ignoring both mask wearing and social distancing protocols. We will very soon see the impacts of that behavior in increased COVID-19 infection rates.
The July 4th holiday saw examples of what you have correctly called ‘bad actors’ ignoring both mask wearing and social distancing protocols. We will very soon see the impacts of that behavior in increased COVID-19 infection rates. I feel confident in predicting that surge in sickness because we saw a similar trend in the weeks following the Memorial Day celebrations. During that holiday, scenes such as this were commonplace in the news:
Sir, that photo was taken of you at a party that took place shortly after Memorial Day. If bar operators are "bad actors" needing to be controlled by the State, I suggest your own behavior falls well within that same category.
The residents of Tucson have elected me, along with my City Council colleagues, with the expectation that we will do all we can to ensure the safety of the public. If we cannot count on the Governor of the State to set a ‘good actor’ example, then we will. I once again call on you to rescind the portion of your standing Executive Order in which local jurisdictions are prohibited from taking local action related to COVID-19.
Local conditions call for local solutions. Our hospitals are beyond capacity. Out-of-state health care workers are being flown in to help support our local workers. Through the surge line, our friends and loved ones are being flown out-of-State in order to receive health care. I do not believe the actions your administration has taken go far enough in protecting my constituents. I also do not believe even your own health care advisors feel the measures in place are having the desired effect.
We as elected officials will stand before the voters and be held accountable for decisions we make on the local level. All we need is for the State to step out of the way and return to us that authority.
Sincerely,
Steve Kozachik
Ward 6 Council member
The Bar Exam has long been seen as the moment of reckoning for hopeful law students, but with Arizona COVID cases skyrocketing, the test pressure is higher than ever before. The Arizona Bar Exam is now less than two weeks away, and the state Supreme Court intends to move forward with an in-person exam in Phoenix, despite the voiced concerns of students and state lawmakers alike.
Arizona’s Bar Exam is planned to take place on July 28 and 29. Precautions include the 650 students who’ve signed up from the exam being required to wear masks and have their temperatures checked, staggered arrival times, and each student sitting at a separate table. However, some students say these precautions simply aren’t enough, as the exam will still gather groups of 200 students into exhibition halls at the Phoenix Convention Center.
“When all of this hit, it didn’t really sink in until we were well into Zoom classes that this might have an impact on how the Bar would be handled,” said Hannah Chute, a law student, and fourth-generation Wildcat. “It’s kind of funny if you look at the legal community as a whole and the academic community, we pivoted in a matter of days or weeks. My friends who are attorneys are now serving clients over video, and are taking depositions and attending settlement conferences digitally… What’s mind-blowing to me is the lack of willingness to explore other creative options for the Bar.”
UPDATE: The Pima County Department of Transportation has since announced that the Mount Lemmon Highway will reopen on Saturday, Aug. 1.
As fire crews work to snuff out the last hotspots of the Bighorn Fire, a lengthy cleanup process begins. Throughout July, the weather has turned favorable with less wind and scattered rainstorms, helping firefighters to get the Bighorn roughly 90 percent contained after it burned across 119,000 acres. Now, Pima County has announced that access to the mountain will be closed to most travelers.
"Based on conversations with our [Burned Area Emergency Response] team, we have decided that the closure orders that we have out currently now will be consolidated into one closure order that will remain in effect until November 1,” said CJ Woodard of the Catalina Ranger District.
Exemptions to the closure order include residents of the Summerhaven and Willow Camp areas, and special-use permit holders for establishments like Mount Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory and Department of Transportation. Road closures stretch around the majority of the burn area, including Bear Canyon and Redington Road.
Catalina State Park is not part of the order. While it is still closed, it will reopen when staff deem it ready to do so.
"At this time, the Sheriff's Department is currently maintaining the road at the base of Mount Lemmon. This is due to the fact that we still have an active fire near Catalina Highway," said Pima County Sheriff’s Department public information officer Marissa Hernandez. "We ask that those Summerhaven residents that are utilizing that highway drive safely and that they notify the Sheriff's Department immediately of any hazards they encounter. That may include seeing a fire near the roadway or rocks."
Sabino Canyon also remains closed. According to the fire incident management team, factors determining the recreation area’s reopening include standing dead trees, trails being remarked, the potential for flooding and its aftereffects. Sabino Canyon’s closure order will constantly be reassessed and portions that are safe to open will be opened as soon as possible.
When Pima County reopens Catalina Highway, public access to Summerhaven will be allowed, but access to the general forest may be limited. Those with cabin reservations atop the mountain can visit the area, as long as the cabin is on private land and they can present proof of the reservation.
As the August 17 school start date grows closer, TUSD has created a unique reopening plan with a completely virtual learning model. Administrators believe this is the only way to comply with Gov. Doug Ducey’s reopening rules while keeping staff, students and families safe.
Students who return to campus next month will be provided a computer and follow the same online learning program as students who stay home. They will be supervised by a school staff member in a room with about 10 to 13 other students, and will be required to follow safety precautions and wear a face mask at all times. Their teacher will not necessarily be in the room with them, and may be working from home.
Students who come to school will be able to take breaks throughout the day, including lunch on a staggered schedule. The online program will allow for collaboration in small groups that isn’t possible in an in-person setting.
At the July 14 board meeting, TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said this plan allows consistency for all students and will make it easy to shift to remote learning if a school needs to abruptly close because of COVID-19 exposure. He said a paperless learning environment will help prevent the spread of germs, and online learning at school will help drive class sizes down.
To make this plan a reality, the board voted to approve a $4 million technology package that will make TUSD a "one-to-one district," meaning every family will be given a computer. Trujillo said this is a “cause for celebration,” because the district has been working toward this goal for years. The money will also provide 1,600 new laptops to teachers in need.
Of the families who have enrolled at TUSD for the 2020-21 school year, about 50 percent indicated they want to send their children back to campus on August 17.
Trujillo said he does not like the idea of putting every student in a “cookie cutter” standardized learning program, but in these extraordinary times it is the best option.
Tags: TUSD , Tucson Unified , Reopening Plan , Governor Ducey , Executive Order , Image
The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block announced today that it will reopen its doors on Thursday, July 30. The reopening includes new safety protocols in accordance with city, state and CDC guidelines. A staggered maximum of 225 visitors per day will be permitted in the museum. Walk-ins will be limited, and tickets can be reserved online starting July 30.
TMA's new protocols include limiting capacity, regularly scheduled sanitation of all accessible surfaces, mandatory mask policy for all staff and visitors ages 5 and up, physical distancing procedures in exhibition galleries and sanitation stations throughout the museum.
