The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 27,000 as of Monday, June 8, with another 789 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 3,154 of the state's 27,678 confirmed cases.

A total of 1,047 people have died after contracting the virus, including 205 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 14,003.

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.

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The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona closed in on 27,000 as of Sunday, June 7, with another 1,438 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County had 3,098 of the state's 26,889 confirmed cases.

A total of 1,044 people have died after contracting the virus, including 205 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 13,498.

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.

Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on May 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that as of yesterday, 1,252 Arizonans were hospitalized, a decline of 26 from yesterday. The state hit a new high of 392 COVID patients in ICU units. A new record of 837 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 6, according to the report. 
Banner Health's chief clinical officer Marjorie Bessel hosted a special briefing about the rapidly increasing trend of COVID hospitalizations in Arizona on Friday, June 5. Bessel warned that if current trends continue, Banner will soon need to exercise its surge plan to increase ICU capacity.

Bessel also said that most concerning is the steep incline of COVID-19 patients on ventilators: On June 4, Banner’s Arizona hospitals had 116 COVID-19 patients on ventilators, up from roughly 15 a month prior.

Banner officials urge everyone to exercise behaviors that are proven to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask when you’re in public near others, staying six feet away from others, and avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people.

Data from the Centers For Disease Control indicate that the five days with the largest increases in new COVID cases in Arizona all came after Ducey's stay-at-home order expired on May 15.

At a June 4 press conference, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.”

While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

When he lifted the stay-at-home order, Ducey told Arizonans: "We are clearly on the other side of this pandemic."

Kathleen Kunz and Jeff Gardner contributed to this report.

Read Banner's latest PowerPoint on COVID in Arizona here.

Data from the Centers For Disease Control indicate that the five days with the largest increases in new COVID cases in Arizona all came after Ducey's stay-at-home order expired on May 15.

At a June 4 press conference, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.”

While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

When he lifted the stay-at-home order, Ducey told Arizonans: "We are clearly on the other side of this pandemic."

Correction: This article originally had an inaccurate date for the lifting of the stay-at-home order.

Here are the stories we covered for you today, and a few stories you may have missed from this past week.

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 24,000 as of Friday, June 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. That's a single-day jump of more than 1,500 cases.
• While international conventions outlaw the US from using chemical agents in warfare, we still use them on our own citizens. In response to a wave of national riots and police tear-gassing, Banner Health’s Poison and Drug Information Center recently shared a list of safety tips if the public is exposed to these riot control agents.
• A new Trump appointee to the United States’ foreign aid agency In her June 5 video address to the community, has a history of online posts denouncing liberal democracy and has said that the country is in the clutches of a “homo-empire” that pushes a “tyrannical LGBT agenda.”
• In her June 5 video address to the community, Pima County Health Department Director Theresa Cullen had a simple message for anyone planning to attend this Saturday’s rally at the University of Arizona: Don’t forget about COVID-19.

And just in case you missed it this past week:

• If you're looking for something to do tomorrow with the kids, Marana's Splash Pads will be opening at 10 a.m.
• If there’s a hole in your heart yearning for live music, look no further than The Gaslight Music Hall’s upcoming drive-in concerts—tickets for which are still available now.
• This week's Skinny delves into appointed U.S. Sen. Martha McSally's campaign tailspin, but if you need more evidence, here's a new Fox News poll that hit yesterday after our deadline.
• A candlelight vigil was held in memory of George Floyd here in Tucson.
• SAACA canceled its summer events and is cautiously moving forward with some of its fall and winter happenings.

In her June 5 video address to the community, Pima County Health Department Director Theresa  Cullen had a simple message for anyone planning to attend this Saturday’s rally at the University of Arizona: Don’t forget about COVID-19.

“We want to remind you that there is a pandemic, and there are things you can do to keep safe,” Cullen said.

In her address, Cullen provided several common-sense tips: Stay safe if you decide to participate by practicing social distancing, wear a mask, and use hand sanitizer. If you’re sick, don’t attend any demonstrations. If you’re nervous while at an event, hang out on the peripheries.

None of the information Cullen shared was new, though she did also provide some clothing tips.

“Because we live in Arizona and it will be warm this weekend, please consider wearing long clothes; long loose clothes,” she said. “This will protect you from the sun as well as any other elements that you may encounter.”

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A new Trump appointee to the United States’ foreign aid agency has a history of online posts denouncing liberal democracy and has said that the country is in the clutches of a “homo-empire” that pushes a “tyrannical LGBT agenda.”

In one post, Merritt Corrigan, who recently took up a position as deputy White House liaison at the U.S. Agency for International Development, wrote: “Liberal democracy is little more than a front for the war being waged against us by those who fundamentally despise not only our way of life, but life itself.”

Corrigan’s new position in the Trump administration, confirmed by two officials, has not been previously reported.

Corrigan previously worked for the Hungarian Embassy in the United States and tweeted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is “the shining champion of Western civilization,” Politico reported last year. An embassy spokesman, Béla Gedeon, said Corrigan left her position there in mid-April.

Orban, a far-right politician, has cracked down on civil society, academic freedom and other liberties. USAID has recently partnered with Hungary to help Christians in Iraq, a pairing that some career USAID officials said they found unsettling.

Asked about Corrigan’s writing, acting USAID spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala said the agency has a “zero-tolerance policy of any form of discrimination or harassment based on gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other possible distinguishing characteristic that can define any of us.”

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona surpassed 24,000 as of Friday, June 5, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. That's a single-day jump of more than 1,500 cases.

Pima County had 2,883 of the state's 24,332 confirmed cases.

The death toll topped 1,000 today, with 1,012 dead across the state, including 202 in Pima County, according to the report.

In Maricopa County, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases hit 12,091.
                                                                              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.

Following the end of Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order on March 15, Arizona hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, as well as more people visiting emergency rooms. Today's Arizona Department of Health Services report shows that through yesterday, 1,234 Arizonans were hospitalized, a jump of 155 from the previous day. A total of 718 people arrived at emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on June 4, according to the report.
At a press conference yesterday, Ducey said he and Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ anticipated the current increase in positive COVID-19 cases because testing has “dramatically increased” within the state.

Christ reported 8,227 staff and residents in skilled nursing facilities across Arizona have been tested for the virus. They expect to have tests done at all of these facilities by June 11.

She downplayed the alarm about the recent increase in cases, which some have attributed to the end of the stay-at-home order on May 15, saying “as people come back together, we know there will be transmissions of COVID-19.” While they admitted new cases are to be expected when people begin to interact again, Ducey and Christ said their main focus was to ensure that hospitals had capacity for an increase in cases. They reported that current use of hospital beds, ICU beds, and ventilators are all within capacity at this time.

“The fact that we were going to focus on having more tests means we were going to have more cases,” Ducey said. “We anticipated that. What we wanted to do was to be prepared for this.”

• Ducey has ordered a statewide curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. through June 8 unless extended. The curfew order came following a weekend of unrest in Tucson and Phoenix. A protest against police violence turned violent in downtown Tucson on Friday night when rioters smashed windows, painted graffiti, and otherwise went wild in downtown Tucson.

The protest was one of many across the country following the killing of George Floyd, who died in police custody after a Minneapolis Police Officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes as the black man gasped for air and said he couldn't breathe.

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