Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Following advice from the Centers for Disease Control, the Pima County Health Department announced Tuesday that immunocompromised people should get a COVID booster shot.
Qualifying people, such as those taking an immune-suppressing medication, can get the third shot 28 days after completing the initial Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines. People who are not deemed immunocompromised are yet not eligible for the booster.
The CDC recommends the third shot for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals. On Friday, the CDC said the booster would benefit compromised people by building a stronger resistance to COVID-19.
The third dose has only been approved to follow the Pfizer/Moderna vaccines. It is also recommended people receive the same brand of vaccine and booster shots. If your brand is unavailable, the other booster shot can be used.
Pfizer vaccines have been approved for people 12 and older while Moderna is approved for people 18 and older.
Pima County will be offering the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots at the following locations:
Theresa Lee Public Health Center, 1493 W. Commerce Court- Monday, Tuesday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday: 8 a.m. to noon
- Wednesday, Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday, Thursday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Tuesday: 8 a.m. to noon
- Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Find a mobile vaccination event at pima.gov/covid19vaccine
Request a home vaccination through the Pima County at-home vaccine interest form online or call 520-222-0119.
Pima Animal Care Center officials say they are out of space for incoming dogs.
“We‘ve been at capacity since June and we are now critical again,” said Monica Dangler, director of Animal Services. “PACC needs your help. We need to clear space for 60 large dogs immediately.”
PACC has more than 700 animals, including 570 dogs, at the shelter. On average, they are taking in 20 more animals than are going out each day.
The lack of space is due to a variety of reasons including lost reports because of monsoon weather, dogs that prefer to be solo in the kennel, animals that are part of Animal Protection Services Investigations, and more.
You can help in several ways:
- Adopt and/or foster a medium- to large-sized dog.
- Don't turn in those friendly strays in the neighborhood. Their home is probably nearby and you can likely find the owner in a few hours. Pets that stay in the neighborhood where they're found have an 80% chance of making it home. That rate drops to 20% if they come to the shelter. (If you need supplies, PACC will provide them for free.)
- File a lost report immediately and upload a photo to lost.petcolove.org. Owners will be alerted when a dog matching theirs comes into PACC.
- Donate to Friends of Pima Animal Care Center.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate last week passed a massive bipartisan infrastructure bill and an even larger budget blueprint that would pave the way for historic changes in U.S. health, education, climate and tax policies.
The two measures are roped to each other, reflecting Democrats’ strategy to pass what could be bipartisan with Republicans—and to go it alone on the rest.
The Senate votes represented important steps for that approach—and the Biden administration’s priorities. But getting the packages to President Joe Biden’s desk will still require delicately balancing competing factions among congressional Democrats, who hold slim majorities in both chambers and are unlikely to get further GOP help.
Plus, the strategy is complicated.
Below are questions and answers about what happened, what the bills would do if they become law, and what we know about what will happen next.
What does the Senate infrastructure bill do?
The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill to upgrade the nation’s roads, bridges, transit, passenger rail, electric grid, water systems, broadband and more.
It includes record spending for items that have been underfunded for years, but doesn’t dramatically alter a transportation system that’s a major contributor to climate change.
Monday, August 16, 2021
The Catalina Foothills and Amphitheater school districts will require universal use of masks indoors effective Tuesday.
The district informed families and staff in a Monday email that it would require masking indoors, regardless of vaccination status, because of the ruling in the case against Phoenix Union High School District’s mask mandate.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Randall Warner ruled that the district did not violate a state law prohibiting schools from mandating masks, since it does not go into effect until Sept 29, 90 days after the legislative session adjourns.
Catalina Foothills updated their mitigation plan and said “it is aligned with federal, state and county public health guidance.”
Amphi will also require staff and students, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks while indoors on school district property and on district buses, beginning Tuesday. Superintendent Todd Jaeger notified parents and staff of the new policy through a letter sent out on Monday afternoon.
Jaeger cited the recommendation of health officials that students should wear masks in schools, including guidance from the CDC, the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Pima County Health Department, and the American Association of Pediatrics. He also noted the increase in COVID-19 cases, particularly outbreaks in their schools. On Monday, one school in the district had 23% of the student body absent due to illness, Jaeger said.
A number of local music venues will be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend shows starting next month.
The Rialto Theatre, Club Congress, 191 Toole and the Fox Theatre announced Monday that they were part of a group of Arizona venues that would take the step by Sept. 20.
All four venues are in the process of reopening and will require patrons to wear masks at upcoming indoor shows before the vaccination policy kicks into place.
“The Rialto Theatre Foundation is extremely excited for our incredible lineup of shows,” said Cathy Rivers, executive director of the Rialto Theatre Foundation. “But with that said, we feel it’s important to be a part of keeping our community safe. Those of us who can get vaccinated should, so we protect those in our community who cannot. We hope to see you at a show enjoying live music again while also taking safety measures to look out for all of our community.”
She added that people should be careful about carrying their vaccine cards.
“I personally recommend people don't carry around their vaccine card,” Rivers said. “I would take a picture of it, put it in your wallet app on your phone, or make a photocopy of the card and keep that in your wallet.”
The Rialto has a wide range of performances in the coming weeks such as Amigo the Devil (Friday, Aug. 20), Neko Case (Monday, Aug. 23), and the Flaming Lips (Tuesday, Aug. 24). In addition, 191 Toole—a smaller warehouse venue that is also managed by the Rialto Theater Foundation—will have Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears (Friday, Aug. 20), Sian (Saturday, Aug. 21) and Nanpa Básico (Friday, Aug. 27).
Dave Slutes, entertainment director at Hotel Congress, said concert-goers would have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend shows inside the legendary Club Congress, but not for shows on the outdoor patio. Slutes said Hotel Congress will continue to follow CDC guidance, as well as honoring artist requests regarding COVID protocol.
Slutes said there has been a lot of interest in the return of live music.
"COVID aside, the artists have been eager to get back out there, tickets have been selling like hotcakes, people have been very eager to see live music again," he said.
But he said there have been unexpected challenges, from the Delta wave to technical issues.
"Did you know that disco lights go bad if you don’t use them for 18 months?" Slutes said.
"Partly what triggered it at this exact moment is it's a changing time in the industry," Schock said. "AEG, Live Nation, and Broadway League have all put out this basic policy over the last week. AEG and Live Nation are major players in the national concert industry and we work with many of their artists. It's important for all of us to cooperate for the industry to work."
On Thursday, Aug. 19, the Fox will present The Mavericks, with the genre-bending band with country and Mexican influences performing their new album, En Español.
“We certainly chose the Mavericks very intentionally,” Schock said. “They've got ties to the Tucson community and the bassist is from here.”
The Mavericks show kicks a packed fall season for The Fox. Schock says she’s “excited to get the venue sparkling and shining again, but at the same time we have some worry because we don't have any control over what happens next.”
Fox staff and volunteers are required to be vaccinated and Schock urged audience members to get vaccinated before shows.
The CDC recently urged vaccinated and unvaccinated people to wear masks indoors in public spaces because the Delta variant is highly contagious. COVID is making a comeback here in Pima County, which recently moved into the “high transmission” category, according to the CDC.
Schock said Tucson has a hunger for live music, adding this season’s sales are breaking records, which is welcome news for Schock after 18 months of zero revenue. The live entertainment industry was one of the hardest hit by COVID and the Fox, the Rialto and Hotel Congress had to lay off most of its operational staff.
Both the Fox and Rialto are reopening with help from the Shuttered Venue Operations Grant from the Small Business Administration.
“I mean we wouldn't have been able to consider reopening with the number of shows that we put on sale at this point with zero revenue,” Schock said. “It was absolutely essential to our ability to book artists and to prepare the venue.”
Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ03) reacted today to the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul:
Twenty years of war, billions of dollars spent, and the policies of four different presidential administrations have utterly failed the Afghan people. It is abundantly clear today that a hyperfocus on military might with negligible diplomatic efforts left the Afghan military unable to defend itself and nascent democratic institutions too fragile to survive the Taliban insurgency. While Trump campaigned on ending our longest war, he never did and the status quo of keeping our service members in danger and away from their families with no clear mission has gone on for too long. Military contractors reaped billions in profits, and it's the Afghan people, particularly women and young girls, who will pay the price.
Those who helped American forces and diplomats must not be left behind. We must undertake every effort to get them out of the country as quickly as possible, fast-track their visas, and open our borders to Afghan refugees. We must keep our promise to them. We must reinvent diplomacy in this region with partners that are in a position to help the Afghan people - it is abundantly clear that a military solution does not exist.
