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It’s been six months since researchers in China said they had identified a novel coronavirus spreading in the city of Wuhan. Hope and desire for a vaccine to end the global devastation is growing with each passing week.

Almost every day, I hear people making plans around the eventual arrival of a coronavirus vaccine — office reopenings, rescheduled weddings, family reunions and international travel. In recent weeks, colleagues and friends have asked me with growing urgency: “When will we have a vaccine? Will it be any good?”

One of the Old Pueblo's most revered Sonoran hot dog institutions is temporarily shutting down dine-in service in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and is challenging other local restaurateurs to follow suit.

BK Carne Asada and Hot Dog's is moving to delivery, carryout, and drive-through service only starting Thursday, June 18, at both their locations in response to the growing number of coronavirus cases in Pima County—and the state—each day.

"Just by seeing these numbers of positive cases each day, I think they are too high. I'm concerned about my customers and employees, as well," owner Benjamin Galaz said.

Galaz said his two locations have been busy since Gov. Doug Ducey lifted the shutdown order on May 12. However, long lines of customers not wearing COVID-19 masks during the restaurant's lunch and dinner rushes have given the owner cause for concern. Galaz said he feels it's his duty to keep his community safe and healthy during the pandemic.

"I think there are too many people in one spot. We're following all the rules from the health department, but I'm really concerned about the rising (COVID-19) numbers," Galaz said. "There are just too many positive cases in one day and something has to be done."

The Sonoran dog baron wants other restaurant owners to join him in helping halt the advance of COVID-19 by closing their dining rooms and moving to delivery and take-out service.

"I would like to ask them to think about what's going on right now. If they could do what we're doing, I think it could help bring those numbers down because the community is very important for all of us," Galaz said.

BK Carne Asada and Hot Dogs is located at 2680 N. First Ave. and 5118 S. 12th Ave.
Call ahead at (520) 207-2245 for First Avenue location or (520) 295-0105 for the 12th Avenue location. Check out their menu here.

Mount Lemmon's community of Summerhaven was spared as the Bighorn Fire continued to rage in the Santa Catalina Mountains.

The fire has now devoured 17,500 acres and is 40 percent contained, primarily on the eastern and southern edges of the blaze near Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills. according to a morning incident report. Residents in those areas have been advised to remain in "set" position in the state's Ready, Set, Go evacuation system. The fire has moved to Samaniego Ridge and firefighters are keeping an eye on the areas of SaddleBrooke and East Golder Ranch.

Mount Lemmon residents were told to evacuate the mountain yesterday. Catalina Highway has been closed at milespost zero since Sunday night.

More than 700 firefighters are now battling the Bighorn Fire, including eight hotshot crews and multiple aircraft and bulldozers.

Firefighters did burnout operations near Radio Ridge and the Mount Lemmon Sky Center yesterday. The fire was to the west and north of Summerhaven, according to a morning briefing. Fire barriers set since the 2003 Aspen fire have helped protect the community, as has work by firefighters in recent days.



High and gusty winds today are expected to fuel the fire and limit the ability of firefighters to use aircraft to battle the blaze.

The fire was ignited by lightning on Friday, June 5.

Catalina State Park has been closed and firefighters have established a restricted area bounded along the Coronado National Forest boundary south and east to the northeast corner of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, northeast along the Forest boundary to its northeastern terminus at Sabino Creek, Sabino Creek north to the Arizona Trail, the Arizona Trail northwest to the junction with Romero Trail, and the Romero Trail northwest to Catalina State Park

Fire crews remind the public that drones are prohibited over the fire area because firefighting aircraft are busy and must be grounded in drones' presence. On June 5, a drone incursion resulted in "an investigation with the drone operator being issued a violation notice."

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped to nearly 41,000 as of Wednesday, June 17, after the state reported 1,827 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 4,385 of the state's 40,924 confirmed cases.

That's more than double the 20,123 confirmed cases the state had on June 1.

A total of 1,239 people have died after contracting the virus, including 229 in Pima County.

Maricopa County has more than half the state's cases, with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting 22,272.

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, especially if you have underlying health conditions, and have advised people to cover their faces with masks in public.

Although Gov. Doug Ducey told Arizonans that the state "was clearly on the other side of this pandemic" when he lifted his stay-at-home order on in mid-May, Arizona hospitals continue to see a steady rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms.

This morning's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, a record 1,582 Arizonans were hospitalized, a 50 percent jump of 573 people from the 1,009 hospitalized on June 1. A total of 1,093 arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 16, the first time that number has topped 1,000. Previous to June, the number of people seeking help in emergency rooms never topped 667, but the daily number hasn't dipped below 800 since June 5. The number of patients in ICU beds hit a new record of 531 yesterday.

Just a #single #ICU #bed available this AM at Tucson Medical Center.
Better contact your #governor (quickly!)

— Steven Oscherwitz MD (@drdetectve) June 15, 2020

Dr. Steven Oscherwitz tweeted yesterday that there was just one bed left in TMC's ICU.

Tucson officials, including Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik, have asked Gov. Doug Ducey to allow local communities to set their own standards to reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19. Under his executive order, Ducey has prohibited local jurisdictions from setting standards tougher than state regulations.

Romero yesterday urged Ducey "to remove the restrictions he has placed on local governments from taking their own public health measures."

"For example, I believe that face masks should be mandatory in areas of the state with high community transmission for indoor spaces where social distancing is not feasible," Romero said. "Gov. Ducey needs to untie the hands of local governments and allow us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our communities and account for local conditions."

Ducey, who has rarely been seen with a mask or face covering and whose administration has frequently neglected to include the advice in various health advisories it has sent out, said last week he did wear them while shopping when he cannot physically distance from others by at least 6 feet. He advised Arizonans to wear them if they felt comfortable doing so.

Despite the rising number of hospitalizations, Ducey said last week there's no reason to be concerned about hospital capacity.

Here's a look at the stories we covered today:

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped past 39,000 as of Tuesday, June 16, after the state reported a record new 2,392 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
• The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum began a phased reopening today, June 16, with new safety precautions based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
• The Pima County Sheriff's Department has issued a "GO" order to the areas of Mt. Lemmon and Mt. Bigelow north of Organization Ridge Road, including Summerhaven, due to the encroaching Bighorn Fire, now nearly 16,000 acres.
• The Trump administration has unveiled its furthest-reaching plan yet to change asylum law in the U.S., redefining the meaning of “persecution” and raising the bar for refugees seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture, among other changes.
• The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Civil Rights Act protections against “sex discrimination” also protect gay or transgender employees from discrimination, even if they are not specifically mentioned in the 1964 law.

PHOENIX – The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Civil Rights Act protections against “sex discrimination” also protect gay or transgender employees from discrimination, even if they are not specifically mentioned in the 1964 law.

The long-awaited ruling involved three separate cases of workers who were fired, two because they were gay and one who was hired as a male but fired after telling the company “she planned to ‘live and work full-time as a woman.'”

Advocates in Arizona like Angela Hughey, executive director of One Community in Phoenix, hailed the 6-3 decision as “an important step forward for equality.”

“But it is also a powerful reminder of how much work is left to do to ensure gay and transgender Arizonans have equal protections in all facets of life including housing, healthcare, and in public accommodations like restaurants, stores, hotels and more,” Hughey said.

PHOENIX – The Trump administration has unveiled its furthest-reaching plan yet to change asylum law in the U.S., redefining the meaning of “persecution” and raising the bar for refugees seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture, among other changes.

The 161-page proposal, officially posted Monday in the Federal Register, would also streamline the asylum-approval process, letting immigration judges rather than immigration courts make rulings in asylum cases and redefining the definition of a frivolous application.

The proposal follows similar actions by the departments of Homeland Security and Justice, but legal experts say this time it will be harder to challenge in court than those previous rules.

“Essentially this rule tries, in a way that hasn’t been done before, to define what can be grounds for asylum,” said Jessica Bolter, an associate policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.

The proposal, first unveiled Wednesday, was swiftly condemned by advocates like the Tahirih Justice Center, which called the proposed regulations “an assault on the fundamental right to seek asylum.”

The Pima County Sheriff's Department has issued a "GO" order to the areas of Mt. Lemmon and Mt. Bigelow north of Organization Ridge Road, including Summerhaven, due to the encroaching Bighorn Fire, now nearly 16,000 acres.

Evacuees are to safely move south on Catalina Highway and leave the mountain. PCSD is also going door to door to make contact with those affected residents who may not have received the message.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum began a phased reopening today, June 16, with new safety precautions based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

The natural history museum, located at 2021 N. Kinney Road, is also a zoo, botanical garden, and aquarium. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, they frequently hosted art gallery events and educational programs for children and adults of all ages.

Guests who plan a visit to the museum will still have access to most exhibits. Some indoor amenities will be closed, such as the Packrat Playhouse, while others will be modified to ensure health safety. Food and beverages will still be available onsite.