PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey won’t impose any new restrictions on individuals or businesses despite what appears to be a record number of daily COVID-19 cases in Arizona and a trend that is pushing even higher.
And he has no plans to extend a moratorium on residential evictions once a federal ban on ousting tenants expires at the end of the month.
The Arizona Department of Health Services on Tuesday reported 12,314 new COVID-19 cases, a figure that hasn’t been seen since the beginning of the pandemic.
There also were 23 more deaths, bringing the Arizona total to 6,973.
The numbers reflect what was reported to the department on Monday, so they could include a spike in tests over the weekend. Because of delays in those reports, the department eventually sorts the tests based on the actual dates they were administered.
People are also reading…
But the department’s day-by-day delayed analysis, even after sorting the numbers by actual test dates, shows there were a record 7,645 cases reported for Nov. 30.
That compares with the June 29 peak of 5,452, the day the governor concluded he had made a mistake in allowing bars, gyms, water parks and movie theaters to reopen.
“We’re fixing it,” Ducey said at the time when asked if he had erred in allowing bars to reopen six weeks earlier.
Since that time, though, he has relaxed his restrictions, allowing businesses to operate, albeit some at reduced capacity and if they promise to follow certain health protocols.
Warnings of dire conditions
Those restrictions appear to not be working.
It isn’t just that there are more people testing positive. That could be seen as a result of wider testing.
There’s also the fact that the percentage of positive tests is up — sharply.
For the current week, 23% of those who were checked out were found to have the virus. That compares for 18% last week and 14% the week before.
The latest spike in positive tests could have repercussions down the road.
At last count there were 3,157 patients in Arizona hospitals with positive or suspected cases. The last time the figure was that high was July 17.
There also are 744 intensive-care beds in use, also the highest since July, and representing 43% of ICU capacity.
Factoring in people hospitalized for other reasons, as well, the overall number of available hospital beds dropped this week as low as 143, which is within 8% of total capacity.
Other indicators point to things getting worse absent some change in conduct.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is predicting an average of 55 coronavirus deaths a day in Arizona by the end of the year, and for the average to reach 73 by the third week of January. That’s even with a planned rapid rollout of vaccine to the highest-risk individuals factored in.
In his latest forecast, Dr. Joe Gerald, of the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, predicted dire problems in access to critical care due to shortages of space, personnel and critical supplies.
“If not addressed within the next one to two weeks, this crisis will evolve into a humanitarian crisis leading to hundreds of preventable deaths,” he wrote. “At this point, only shelter-in-place restrictions are certain to quickly and sufficiently curtail viral transmission.”
White House task force says Arizona should do more
Even the latest report about Arizona from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, one of the sources Ducey has said he has relied upon, urges Arizona to do more.
“Mitigation efforts must increase,” the report says. That includes “no indoor gatherings outside of immediate households.”
Ducey’s reaction: “It’s clear the numbers are moving in the wrong direction and are having a tremendous impact on our health-care system,” said his press aide C.J. Karamargin.
But he had no announcements of any changes in current regulations.
Democratic lawmakers urge continued eviction relief
Ducey does have other powers to deal with the pandemic above and beyond health precautions.
In March he imposed a moratorium on evictions of renters affected by COVID-19, whether due to themselves or a family member having the virus or because they lost a job because of the pandemic. He said this is health-related because keeping people in their homes helps prevent spread of the virus.
Ducey extended his order several times before allowing it to expire at the end of October. But the governor noted at that time there would be no immediate effect because the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had imposed its own moratorium.
That federal ban self-destructs at the end of this month. On Tuesday, citing the rise in COVID-19 cases and that Dec. 31 expiration, Democratic legislative leaders called on the governor to once again protect tenants from losing their homes and apartments.
But Karamargin said the governor has no plans to do so, saying it’s a federal issue.
“This issue underscores the need for Congress to act,” he said.
He acknowledged that the governor did not wait for federal action earlier this year. But he said Ducey believes this should be part of the discussion going on in Washington, D.C., about the next step in federal coronavirus relief.
There was no commitment from Ducey to act if there is no new federal moratorium by the end of the year.
State Rep. Kirsten Engel, D-Tucson, said that makes no sense given that Ducey has advised people that the safest place to be is at home.
“You can only stay home if you have a home,” she said.
The most recent survey by the U.S. Census Bureau shows about 14% of Arizonans said they were caught up on their rent. About 56,000 people said they are very or somewhat likely to lose their homes or apartments in the next two months.
Democrats call for new restrictions
While Ducey is unwilling to react to the numbers, legislative Democrats have shown no such reticence.
Some of what they want is not new, like a statewide mask mandate.
Reginald Bolding, the incoming House minority leader, does not dispute Ducey’s assertion that most of the state already is covered by local mask ordinances. But he said that’s not enough.
“We believe that more Arizonans will accept and take that responsibility for themselves and their neighbors,” Bolding said, saying the current situation creates “mixed messages.”
Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios wants an absolute ban on gatherings of more than 25. The current state restriction is at 50, but with a provision that allows for a local waiver.
Ducey did add a requirement last week for local authorities to demand and enforce mitigation measures on such gatherings like masks and social distancing.
Rios said more is needed. And, unlike Ducey, she would have no exceptions for religious services, political gatherings and other activities that the governor has carved out as protected by the First Amendment.
“The reality of the situation is, we’re in a crisis,” Rios said. “And if everybody wants to pick and choose who they think should be exempt, then it doesn’t work.”
Ducey’s state health director, Dr. Cara Christ, also isn’t recommending changes in what Arizona individuals and businesses should or should not be allowed to do.
“The number of cases added to the dashboard today is concerning but not unexpected,” she said on Tuesday.
She said her department anticipated an increase two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, the normal incubation period for the virus, as families gathered in increased numbers.
In anticipation of another spike after the December holidays, Christ is urging people to take additional precautions and limit contacts beyond their immediate families.
Photos: April coronavirus patient drill at Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Arizona governor touts COVID vaccine coming soon; spurns calls for curfews, other rules
PHOENIX — Arizona is expected to receive “hundreds of thousands” of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of this month, with priority for health-care workers, teachers, vulnerable populations and long-term-care residents, the state’s health chief said Wednesday.
The announcement came as Dr. Cara Christ also disclosed that 1 person out of every 7 who got tested for the virus last week in Arizona was infected. She also reported a new one-day record for cases.
But Gov. Doug Ducey, standing by her side, refused to put any new mitigation measures or restrictions in place to get the state to the point where a majority of Arizonans can be inoculated.
He specifically rejected a proposal by the chief medical officers of several Arizona hospitals to put in place a curfew, close restaurants to indoor dining and cancel group athletic activities. Instead, Ducey said he is relying on the idea that Arizona will have sufficient hospital beds to treat those who get ill in the interim.
However, that assumes hospitals can find the qualified medical personnel to staff these beds.
Earlier Wednesday, Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said the problem now, unlike this summer when virus cases peaked here, is that Arizona is no longer the state with the biggest surge. That makes it difficult to recruit help from elsewhere.
And while Banner is in the process of filling 1,500 positions, she said efforts are still underway to hire 900 more.
Ducey did agree Wednesday to provide an additional $60 million to Arizona hospitals to help them find the staff they need to handle the surge of people needing medical care. That is on top of a $25 million infusion less than a month ago.
“Grim” forecasts for this month and next
Bessel said the picture in Arizona is “grim,” predicting that Banner hospitals will hit 125% of bed capacity this month and exceed that, at least briefly, in January.
That trend is not unique to Banner.
Intensive-care-unit bed use is already at 90% of capacity in the state, the most recent data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows.
Hitting 125% is not necessarily a problem as hospitals are required to have plans in place for such a surge, including converting non-ICU beds and other facilities for intensive-care use.
But the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation predicts the demand for ICU beds will hit 300% of capacity in Arizona by the middle of January unless there are additional steps taken to curb the spread of the virus.
It was for that reason that Bessel and medical officers from Mayo Clinic and Dignity Health specifically asked Christ this week to impose the additional restrictions.
Bessel specifically praised Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council for voting Tuesday to impose a 10 p.m. curfew for three weeks.
“A curfew is mitigation that absolutely can work,” Bessel said. “It can work and it will work if we deploy it.”
Ducey is not willing to take such steps, even as he conceded that the vaccines, which will only start to be available later this month — and only for those in the highest priority classes — won’t make any immediate dent in an increasing trend in cases.
“We are in for a tough several weeks here,” the governor said at his news conference Wednesday.
He said he was giving his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the 6,739 people in Arizona who have died so far from COVID-19.
“We grieve every death in Arizona and want to continue to do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect lives,” Ducey said.
Ducey: Curfews “not the right approach”
But that won’t include the kind of new restrictions being urged by the hospital medical chiefs and others, and not the kind of curfew that takes effect Friday, Dec. 4, in Tucson.
“I don’t think it’s the right approach,” Ducey said. “We want to do things that will allow businesses to operate safely.”
He said the continuing restrictions imposed in late June, like occupancy limits on in-house restaurant dining, movie theaters and fitness centers, along with enforcement, “will be the best things we can do to continue to slow the spread.”
He brushed aside questions about the fact that the spread is not slowing, even as Christ acknowledged that 15% of the tests for the virus conducted last week are coming back positive.
“This week we’re trending higher,” she said.
The number of new cases reported per day hit a record on Nov. 23 in the state. Figures for more recent dates are still being updated.
For Ducey, the focus is on the economy.
“I don’t think the right answer is to throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans out of work before the holidays to slow this spread because I don’t think it would slow the spread,” he said.
He said there are other complications of restrictions, “like suicide attempts, like depression, like emotional and social disconnection, like child abuse and like domestic violence.”
Safety measures for large events
The lone new regulation of sorts that Ducey did impose Wednesday is not anything the state would enforce.
His current executive orders prohibit gatherings of more than 50 unless local governments approve. Now, he said, these governments will have to have a written agreement with event organizers that they will require and enforce certain safety measures, like distancing and the use of masks.
Nothing in Ducey’s orders affects activities he said are protected by the First Amendment, like the rallies the governor attended this year during President Trump’s campaign.
That, then, leaves the vaccines.
More financial help for restaurants
Ducey said first priority will go to health-care and essential public-safety workers, residents of long-term-care facilities and other “vulnerable” populations.
He is specifically including teachers in that first group.
That dovetails with his often-repeated argument that he wants more in-classroom teaching and less online education. The premise is that once teachers have immunity, they will be more willing to return to work in classrooms.
The date for vaccines for all Arizonans has yet to be determined.
Ducey issued an executive order Wednesday spelling out that all residents will be able to get inoculated “without financial barriers.”
Ducey also set aside $1 million in grants to help restaurants and other dining facilities expand their outdoor dining operations.
There is a separate $100,000 going to the Arizona Restaurant Association for the same purpose, and another $100,000 to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association to aid hotels and their restaurants in strengthening their sanitation and mitigation practices to protect patrons and staff.
Not everything being done for restaurants is financial.
Ducey is suspending a provision in law that says restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages only to patrons dining in-house or at an outdoor patio directly connected to the business. That has proven to be a barrier for restaurants that have received local permission to operate in parking lots and on cordoned-off areas of the street where there is a sidewalk in between.
Tucson Medical Center and the Tucson Fire Department held a drill on April 10, 2020, to help establish procedures and solve problems when hand…
Pima County keeps voluntary curfew, enhances penalties for violating COVID-19 rules
The Pima County supervisors voted Friday to strengthen penalties related to noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations, including the potential suspension of restaurant licenses and civil penalties for people not wearing a mask in public.
In addition to several new enforcement actions, the Board of Supervisors also endorsed a strengthened public-health advisory by the Pima County Health Department that now requires businesses to report any known coronavirus cases.
The county’s voluntary curfew, which began Nov. 24, will remain in place each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 31. Even as other areas of the county are asked to adhere to the voluntary curfew, the city of Tucson voted to implement a mandatory curfew earlier this week, which will be in place from Friday, Dec. 4, to Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“The point of an advisory is to really ensure that people understand the severity of what we are dealing with,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s public-health director. “We are in a crisis situation.”
The increased enforcement measures come as new coronavirus cases reach unprecedented levels throughout the county and state. In the first four days of December, there have been close to 2,900 new infections in the county, exceeding the total number of cases in March, April and May combined.
Hospitals also continue to deal with a record number of COVID-19 patients, reporting only one available ICU bed in the county on Dec. 3. Officials throughout the state continue to see an accelerated growth curve with no signs of slowing down without serious statewide intervention.
“We in the hospitals are being stretched to the limit, even as we speak,” said Dr. Clifford Martin, an infectious-disease specialist at Tucson Medical Center, when addressing the board. “I ask you and the community to do whatever you can to help us in the hospital at this point.”
Based on action taken by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this week, the board decided to enhance enforcement on a number of coronavirus regulations already in place.
Here are the actions that were taken by the board, in 3-2 votes with Republican supervisors Steve Christy and Ally Miller voting no on them:
Business regulations
In July, supervisors adopted a number of temporary measures applicable to restaurants, public pools, gyms, fitness centers, hotels and resorts, such as employee temperature checks, masks and gloves, occupancy limits, social distancing and cleaning requirements.
Under an amended proclamation, the county will now enhance its enforcement of these measures, allowing only one incidence of noncompliance before facing repercussion by the county Health Department. A second violation by a business could result in the possible suspension or revocation of the establishment’s license or operating permit.
Mask compliance
While the county has had a mask mandate in place since June, there were previously no penalties in place for noncompliance. On Friday, the board asked that all county jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies assist in enforcement action, which includes a $50 civil fine for not wearing a mask in public areas.
In addition, the board made it mandatory for businesses to refuse service to anyone entering their establishments without a mask, unless specific exemptions apply. A business could be fined up to $500 if they do not comply.
Event regulations
Anyone wishing to hold an event with more than 50 people will now be required to pay a $1,000 or more compliance deposit, depending on the size of the proposed event. If mitigation strategies are followed during the event, organizers would be entitled to get their deposit back.
There will be on-site inspections of these events to determine compliance.
Curfew
The voluntary countywide curfew, intended to curb evening social gatherings at bars and other places, will remain in place through Dec. 31.
After two weeks, the board will review whether the voluntary curfew and other measures are working by analyzing the number of infections per 100,000 residents as well as the percent of positivity within the county. If the county is still over 100 cases per 100,000 people and over 10% positive, the board will consider moving to a mandatory curfew.
“We don’t know what the next two weeks will bring,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said. “We are at over 350 infections per 100,000. If that continues to increase, we will be back with more measures within the next two weeks.”
Older adults asked to shelter in place
In addition to the curfew, the Health Department is also asking for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions to voluntarily shelter in place, except to seek medical care, purchase food, attend work or other essential activities.
The enhanced public-health advisory also requires businesses to report any confirmed COVID-19 cases within their establishment and further comply with any contact tracing efforts by the Health Department. A website will go live next week for businesses to report these cases to the county.
Photos: April coronavirus patient drill at Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Arizona governor touts COVID vaccine coming soon; spurns calls for curfews, other rules
PHOENIX — Arizona is expected to receive “hundreds of thousands” of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of this month, with priority for health-care workers, teachers, vulnerable populations and long-term-care residents, the state’s health chief said Wednesday.
The announcement came as Dr. Cara Christ also disclosed that 1 person out of every 7 who got tested for the virus last week in Arizona was infected. She also reported a new one-day record for cases.
But Gov. Doug Ducey, standing by her side, refused to put any new mitigation measures or restrictions in place to get the state to the point where a majority of Arizonans can be inoculated.
He specifically rejected a proposal by the chief medical officers of several Arizona hospitals to put in place a curfew, close restaurants to indoor dining and cancel group athletic activities. Instead, Ducey said he is relying on the idea that Arizona will have sufficient hospital beds to treat those who get ill in the interim.
However, that assumes hospitals can find the qualified medical personnel to staff these beds.
Earlier Wednesday, Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said the problem now, unlike this summer when virus cases peaked here, is that Arizona is no longer the state with the biggest surge. That makes it difficult to recruit help from elsewhere.
And while Banner is in the process of filling 1,500 positions, she said efforts are still underway to hire 900 more.
Ducey did agree Wednesday to provide an additional $60 million to Arizona hospitals to help them find the staff they need to handle the surge of people needing medical care. That is on top of a $25 million infusion less than a month ago.
“Grim” forecasts for this month and next
Bessel said the picture in Arizona is “grim,” predicting that Banner hospitals will hit 125% of bed capacity this month and exceed that, at least briefly, in January.
That trend is not unique to Banner.
Intensive-care-unit bed use is already at 90% of capacity in the state, the most recent data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows.
Hitting 125% is not necessarily a problem as hospitals are required to have plans in place for such a surge, including converting non-ICU beds and other facilities for intensive-care use.
But the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation predicts the demand for ICU beds will hit 300% of capacity in Arizona by the middle of January unless there are additional steps taken to curb the spread of the virus.
It was for that reason that Bessel and medical officers from Mayo Clinic and Dignity Health specifically asked Christ this week to impose the additional restrictions.
Bessel specifically praised Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council for voting Tuesday to impose a 10 p.m. curfew for three weeks.
“A curfew is mitigation that absolutely can work,” Bessel said. “It can work and it will work if we deploy it.”
Ducey is not willing to take such steps, even as he conceded that the vaccines, which will only start to be available later this month — and only for those in the highest priority classes — won’t make any immediate dent in an increasing trend in cases.
“We are in for a tough several weeks here,” the governor said at his news conference Wednesday.
He said he was giving his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the 6,739 people in Arizona who have died so far from COVID-19.
“We grieve every death in Arizona and want to continue to do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect lives,” Ducey said.
Ducey: Curfews “not the right approach”
But that won’t include the kind of new restrictions being urged by the hospital medical chiefs and others, and not the kind of curfew that takes effect Friday, Dec. 4, in Tucson.
“I don’t think it’s the right approach,” Ducey said. “We want to do things that will allow businesses to operate safely.”
He said the continuing restrictions imposed in late June, like occupancy limits on in-house restaurant dining, movie theaters and fitness centers, along with enforcement, “will be the best things we can do to continue to slow the spread.”
He brushed aside questions about the fact that the spread is not slowing, even as Christ acknowledged that 15% of the tests for the virus conducted last week are coming back positive.
“This week we’re trending higher,” she said.
The number of new cases reported per day hit a record on Nov. 23 in the state. Figures for more recent dates are still being updated.
For Ducey, the focus is on the economy.
“I don’t think the right answer is to throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans out of work before the holidays to slow this spread because I don’t think it would slow the spread,” he said.
He said there are other complications of restrictions, “like suicide attempts, like depression, like emotional and social disconnection, like child abuse and like domestic violence.”
Safety measures for large events
The lone new regulation of sorts that Ducey did impose Wednesday is not anything the state would enforce.
His current executive orders prohibit gatherings of more than 50 unless local governments approve. Now, he said, these governments will have to have a written agreement with event organizers that they will require and enforce certain safety measures, like distancing and the use of masks.
Nothing in Ducey’s orders affects activities he said are protected by the First Amendment, like the rallies the governor attended this year during President Trump’s campaign.
That, then, leaves the vaccines.
More financial help for restaurants
Ducey said first priority will go to health-care and essential public-safety workers, residents of long-term-care facilities and other “vulnerable” populations.
He is specifically including teachers in that first group.
That dovetails with his often-repeated argument that he wants more in-classroom teaching and less online education. The premise is that once teachers have immunity, they will be more willing to return to work in classrooms.
The date for vaccines for all Arizonans has yet to be determined.
Ducey issued an executive order Wednesday spelling out that all residents will be able to get inoculated “without financial barriers.”
Ducey also set aside $1 million in grants to help restaurants and other dining facilities expand their outdoor dining operations.
There is a separate $100,000 going to the Arizona Restaurant Association for the same purpose, and another $100,000 to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association to aid hotels and their restaurants in strengthening their sanitation and mitigation practices to protect patrons and staff.
Not everything being done for restaurants is financial.
Ducey is suspending a provision in law that says restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages only to patrons dining in-house or at an outdoor patio directly connected to the business. That has proven to be a barrier for restaurants that have received local permission to operate in parking lots and on cordoned-off areas of the street where there is a sidewalk in between.
Tucson Medical Center and the Tucson Fire Department held a drill on April 10, 2020, to help establish procedures and solve problems when hand…
Pima County keeps voluntary curfew, enhances penalties for violating COVID-19 rules
The Pima County supervisors voted Friday to strengthen penalties related to noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations, including the potential suspension of restaurant licenses and civil penalties for people not wearing a mask in public.
In addition to several new enforcement actions, the Board of Supervisors also endorsed a strengthened public-health advisory by the Pima County Health Department that now requires businesses to report any known coronavirus cases.
The county’s voluntary curfew, which began Nov. 24, will remain in place each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 31. Even as other areas of the county are asked to adhere to the voluntary curfew, the city of Tucson voted to implement a mandatory curfew earlier this week, which will be in place from Friday, Dec. 4, to Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“The point of an advisory is to really ensure that people understand the severity of what we are dealing with,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s public-health director. “We are in a crisis situation.”
The increased enforcement measures come as new coronavirus cases reach unprecedented levels throughout the county and state. In the first four days of December, there have been close to 2,900 new infections in the county, exceeding the total number of cases in March, April and May combined.
Hospitals also continue to deal with a record number of COVID-19 patients, reporting only one available ICU bed in the county on Dec. 3. Officials throughout the state continue to see an accelerated growth curve with no signs of slowing down without serious statewide intervention.
“We in the hospitals are being stretched to the limit, even as we speak,” said Dr. Clifford Martin, an infectious-disease specialist at Tucson Medical Center, when addressing the board. “I ask you and the community to do whatever you can to help us in the hospital at this point.”
Based on action taken by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this week, the board decided to enhance enforcement on a number of coronavirus regulations already in place.
Here are the actions that were taken by the board, in 3-2 votes with Republican supervisors Steve Christy and Ally Miller voting no on them:
Business regulations
In July, supervisors adopted a number of temporary measures applicable to restaurants, public pools, gyms, fitness centers, hotels and resorts, such as employee temperature checks, masks and gloves, occupancy limits, social distancing and cleaning requirements.
Under an amended proclamation, the county will now enhance its enforcement of these measures, allowing only one incidence of noncompliance before facing repercussion by the county Health Department. A second violation by a business could result in the possible suspension or revocation of the establishment’s license or operating permit.
Mask compliance
While the county has had a mask mandate in place since June, there were previously no penalties in place for noncompliance. On Friday, the board asked that all county jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies assist in enforcement action, which includes a $50 civil fine for not wearing a mask in public areas.
In addition, the board made it mandatory for businesses to refuse service to anyone entering their establishments without a mask, unless specific exemptions apply. A business could be fined up to $500 if they do not comply.
Event regulations
Anyone wishing to hold an event with more than 50 people will now be required to pay a $1,000 or more compliance deposit, depending on the size of the proposed event. If mitigation strategies are followed during the event, organizers would be entitled to get their deposit back.
There will be on-site inspections of these events to determine compliance.
Curfew
The voluntary countywide curfew, intended to curb evening social gatherings at bars and other places, will remain in place through Dec. 31.
After two weeks, the board will review whether the voluntary curfew and other measures are working by analyzing the number of infections per 100,000 residents as well as the percent of positivity within the county. If the county is still over 100 cases per 100,000 people and over 10% positive, the board will consider moving to a mandatory curfew.
“We don’t know what the next two weeks will bring,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said. “We are at over 350 infections per 100,000. If that continues to increase, we will be back with more measures within the next two weeks.”
Older adults asked to shelter in place
In addition to the curfew, the Health Department is also asking for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions to voluntarily shelter in place, except to seek medical care, purchase food, attend work or other essential activities.
The enhanced public-health advisory also requires businesses to report any confirmed COVID-19 cases within their establishment and further comply with any contact tracing efforts by the Health Department. A website will go live next week for businesses to report these cases to the county.
Photos: April coronavirus patient drill at Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Arizona governor touts COVID vaccine coming soon; spurns calls for curfews, other rules
PHOENIX — Arizona is expected to receive “hundreds of thousands” of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of this month, with priority for health-care workers, teachers, vulnerable populations and long-term-care residents, the state’s health chief said Wednesday.
The announcement came as Dr. Cara Christ also disclosed that 1 person out of every 7 who got tested for the virus last week in Arizona was infected. She also reported a new one-day record for cases.
But Gov. Doug Ducey, standing by her side, refused to put any new mitigation measures or restrictions in place to get the state to the point where a majority of Arizonans can be inoculated.
He specifically rejected a proposal by the chief medical officers of several Arizona hospitals to put in place a curfew, close restaurants to indoor dining and cancel group athletic activities. Instead, Ducey said he is relying on the idea that Arizona will have sufficient hospital beds to treat those who get ill in the interim.
However, that assumes hospitals can find the qualified medical personnel to staff these beds.
Earlier Wednesday, Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said the problem now, unlike this summer when virus cases peaked here, is that Arizona is no longer the state with the biggest surge. That makes it difficult to recruit help from elsewhere.
And while Banner is in the process of filling 1,500 positions, she said efforts are still underway to hire 900 more.
Ducey did agree Wednesday to provide an additional $60 million to Arizona hospitals to help them find the staff they need to handle the surge of people needing medical care. That is on top of a $25 million infusion less than a month ago.
“Grim” forecasts for this month and next
Bessel said the picture in Arizona is “grim,” predicting that Banner hospitals will hit 125% of bed capacity this month and exceed that, at least briefly, in January.
That trend is not unique to Banner.
Intensive-care-unit bed use is already at 90% of capacity in the state, the most recent data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows.
Hitting 125% is not necessarily a problem as hospitals are required to have plans in place for such a surge, including converting non-ICU beds and other facilities for intensive-care use.
But the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation predicts the demand for ICU beds will hit 300% of capacity in Arizona by the middle of January unless there are additional steps taken to curb the spread of the virus.
It was for that reason that Bessel and medical officers from Mayo Clinic and Dignity Health specifically asked Christ this week to impose the additional restrictions.
Bessel specifically praised Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council for voting Tuesday to impose a 10 p.m. curfew for three weeks.
“A curfew is mitigation that absolutely can work,” Bessel said. “It can work and it will work if we deploy it.”
Ducey is not willing to take such steps, even as he conceded that the vaccines, which will only start to be available later this month — and only for those in the highest priority classes — won’t make any immediate dent in an increasing trend in cases.
“We are in for a tough several weeks here,” the governor said at his news conference Wednesday.
He said he was giving his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the 6,739 people in Arizona who have died so far from COVID-19.
“We grieve every death in Arizona and want to continue to do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect lives,” Ducey said.
Ducey: Curfews “not the right approach”
But that won’t include the kind of new restrictions being urged by the hospital medical chiefs and others, and not the kind of curfew that takes effect Friday, Dec. 4, in Tucson.
“I don’t think it’s the right approach,” Ducey said. “We want to do things that will allow businesses to operate safely.”
He said the continuing restrictions imposed in late June, like occupancy limits on in-house restaurant dining, movie theaters and fitness centers, along with enforcement, “will be the best things we can do to continue to slow the spread.”
He brushed aside questions about the fact that the spread is not slowing, even as Christ acknowledged that 15% of the tests for the virus conducted last week are coming back positive.
“This week we’re trending higher,” she said.
The number of new cases reported per day hit a record on Nov. 23 in the state. Figures for more recent dates are still being updated.
For Ducey, the focus is on the economy.
“I don’t think the right answer is to throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans out of work before the holidays to slow this spread because I don’t think it would slow the spread,” he said.
He said there are other complications of restrictions, “like suicide attempts, like depression, like emotional and social disconnection, like child abuse and like domestic violence.”
Safety measures for large events
The lone new regulation of sorts that Ducey did impose Wednesday is not anything the state would enforce.
His current executive orders prohibit gatherings of more than 50 unless local governments approve. Now, he said, these governments will have to have a written agreement with event organizers that they will require and enforce certain safety measures, like distancing and the use of masks.
Nothing in Ducey’s orders affects activities he said are protected by the First Amendment, like the rallies the governor attended this year during President Trump’s campaign.
That, then, leaves the vaccines.
More financial help for restaurants
Ducey said first priority will go to health-care and essential public-safety workers, residents of long-term-care facilities and other “vulnerable” populations.
He is specifically including teachers in that first group.
That dovetails with his often-repeated argument that he wants more in-classroom teaching and less online education. The premise is that once teachers have immunity, they will be more willing to return to work in classrooms.
The date for vaccines for all Arizonans has yet to be determined.
Ducey issued an executive order Wednesday spelling out that all residents will be able to get inoculated “without financial barriers.”
Ducey also set aside $1 million in grants to help restaurants and other dining facilities expand their outdoor dining operations.
There is a separate $100,000 going to the Arizona Restaurant Association for the same purpose, and another $100,000 to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association to aid hotels and their restaurants in strengthening their sanitation and mitigation practices to protect patrons and staff.
Not everything being done for restaurants is financial.
Ducey is suspending a provision in law that says restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages only to patrons dining in-house or at an outdoor patio directly connected to the business. That has proven to be a barrier for restaurants that have received local permission to operate in parking lots and on cordoned-off areas of the street where there is a sidewalk in between.
Tucson Medical Center and the Tucson Fire Department held a drill on April 10, 2020, to help establish procedures and solve problems when hand…
Pima County keeps voluntary curfew, enhances penalties for violating COVID-19 rules
The Pima County supervisors voted Friday to strengthen penalties related to noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations, including the potential suspension of restaurant licenses and civil penalties for people not wearing a mask in public.
In addition to several new enforcement actions, the Board of Supervisors also endorsed a strengthened public-health advisory by the Pima County Health Department that now requires businesses to report any known coronavirus cases.
The county’s voluntary curfew, which began Nov. 24, will remain in place each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 31. Even as other areas of the county are asked to adhere to the voluntary curfew, the city of Tucson voted to implement a mandatory curfew earlier this week, which will be in place from Friday, Dec. 4, to Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“The point of an advisory is to really ensure that people understand the severity of what we are dealing with,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s public-health director. “We are in a crisis situation.”
The increased enforcement measures come as new coronavirus cases reach unprecedented levels throughout the county and state. In the first four days of December, there have been close to 2,900 new infections in the county, exceeding the total number of cases in March, April and May combined.
Hospitals also continue to deal with a record number of COVID-19 patients, reporting only one available ICU bed in the county on Dec. 3. Officials throughout the state continue to see an accelerated growth curve with no signs of slowing down without serious statewide intervention.
“We in the hospitals are being stretched to the limit, even as we speak,” said Dr. Clifford Martin, an infectious-disease specialist at Tucson Medical Center, when addressing the board. “I ask you and the community to do whatever you can to help us in the hospital at this point.”
Based on action taken by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this week, the board decided to enhance enforcement on a number of coronavirus regulations already in place.
Here are the actions that were taken by the board, in 3-2 votes with Republican supervisors Steve Christy and Ally Miller voting no on them:
Business regulations
In July, supervisors adopted a number of temporary measures applicable to restaurants, public pools, gyms, fitness centers, hotels and resorts, such as employee temperature checks, masks and gloves, occupancy limits, social distancing and cleaning requirements.
Under an amended proclamation, the county will now enhance its enforcement of these measures, allowing only one incidence of noncompliance before facing repercussion by the county Health Department. A second violation by a business could result in the possible suspension or revocation of the establishment’s license or operating permit.
Mask compliance
While the county has had a mask mandate in place since June, there were previously no penalties in place for noncompliance. On Friday, the board asked that all county jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies assist in enforcement action, which includes a $50 civil fine for not wearing a mask in public areas.
In addition, the board made it mandatory for businesses to refuse service to anyone entering their establishments without a mask, unless specific exemptions apply. A business could be fined up to $500 if they do not comply.
Event regulations
Anyone wishing to hold an event with more than 50 people will now be required to pay a $1,000 or more compliance deposit, depending on the size of the proposed event. If mitigation strategies are followed during the event, organizers would be entitled to get their deposit back.
There will be on-site inspections of these events to determine compliance.
Curfew
The voluntary countywide curfew, intended to curb evening social gatherings at bars and other places, will remain in place through Dec. 31.
After two weeks, the board will review whether the voluntary curfew and other measures are working by analyzing the number of infections per 100,000 residents as well as the percent of positivity within the county. If the county is still over 100 cases per 100,000 people and over 10% positive, the board will consider moving to a mandatory curfew.
“We don’t know what the next two weeks will bring,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said. “We are at over 350 infections per 100,000. If that continues to increase, we will be back with more measures within the next two weeks.”
Older adults asked to shelter in place
In addition to the curfew, the Health Department is also asking for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions to voluntarily shelter in place, except to seek medical care, purchase food, attend work or other essential activities.
The enhanced public-health advisory also requires businesses to report any confirmed COVID-19 cases within their establishment and further comply with any contact tracing efforts by the Health Department. A website will go live next week for businesses to report these cases to the county.
Photos: April coronavirus patient drill at Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Arizona governor touts COVID vaccine coming soon; spurns calls for curfews, other rules
PHOENIX — Arizona is expected to receive “hundreds of thousands” of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of this month, with priority for health-care workers, teachers, vulnerable populations and long-term-care residents, the state’s health chief said Wednesday.
The announcement came as Dr. Cara Christ also disclosed that 1 person out of every 7 who got tested for the virus last week in Arizona was infected. She also reported a new one-day record for cases.
But Gov. Doug Ducey, standing by her side, refused to put any new mitigation measures or restrictions in place to get the state to the point where a majority of Arizonans can be inoculated.
He specifically rejected a proposal by the chief medical officers of several Arizona hospitals to put in place a curfew, close restaurants to indoor dining and cancel group athletic activities. Instead, Ducey said he is relying on the idea that Arizona will have sufficient hospital beds to treat those who get ill in the interim.
However, that assumes hospitals can find the qualified medical personnel to staff these beds.
Earlier Wednesday, Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said the problem now, unlike this summer when virus cases peaked here, is that Arizona is no longer the state with the biggest surge. That makes it difficult to recruit help from elsewhere.
And while Banner is in the process of filling 1,500 positions, she said efforts are still underway to hire 900 more.
Ducey did agree Wednesday to provide an additional $60 million to Arizona hospitals to help them find the staff they need to handle the surge of people needing medical care. That is on top of a $25 million infusion less than a month ago.
“Grim” forecasts for this month and next
Bessel said the picture in Arizona is “grim,” predicting that Banner hospitals will hit 125% of bed capacity this month and exceed that, at least briefly, in January.
That trend is not unique to Banner.
Intensive-care-unit bed use is already at 90% of capacity in the state, the most recent data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows.
Hitting 125% is not necessarily a problem as hospitals are required to have plans in place for such a surge, including converting non-ICU beds and other facilities for intensive-care use.
But the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation predicts the demand for ICU beds will hit 300% of capacity in Arizona by the middle of January unless there are additional steps taken to curb the spread of the virus.
It was for that reason that Bessel and medical officers from Mayo Clinic and Dignity Health specifically asked Christ this week to impose the additional restrictions.
Bessel specifically praised Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council for voting Tuesday to impose a 10 p.m. curfew for three weeks.
“A curfew is mitigation that absolutely can work,” Bessel said. “It can work and it will work if we deploy it.”
Ducey is not willing to take such steps, even as he conceded that the vaccines, which will only start to be available later this month — and only for those in the highest priority classes — won’t make any immediate dent in an increasing trend in cases.
“We are in for a tough several weeks here,” the governor said at his news conference Wednesday.
He said he was giving his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the 6,739 people in Arizona who have died so far from COVID-19.
“We grieve every death in Arizona and want to continue to do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect lives,” Ducey said.
Ducey: Curfews “not the right approach”
But that won’t include the kind of new restrictions being urged by the hospital medical chiefs and others, and not the kind of curfew that takes effect Friday, Dec. 4, in Tucson.
“I don’t think it’s the right approach,” Ducey said. “We want to do things that will allow businesses to operate safely.”
He said the continuing restrictions imposed in late June, like occupancy limits on in-house restaurant dining, movie theaters and fitness centers, along with enforcement, “will be the best things we can do to continue to slow the spread.”
He brushed aside questions about the fact that the spread is not slowing, even as Christ acknowledged that 15% of the tests for the virus conducted last week are coming back positive.
“This week we’re trending higher,” she said.
The number of new cases reported per day hit a record on Nov. 23 in the state. Figures for more recent dates are still being updated.
For Ducey, the focus is on the economy.
“I don’t think the right answer is to throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans out of work before the holidays to slow this spread because I don’t think it would slow the spread,” he said.
He said there are other complications of restrictions, “like suicide attempts, like depression, like emotional and social disconnection, like child abuse and like domestic violence.”
Safety measures for large events
The lone new regulation of sorts that Ducey did impose Wednesday is not anything the state would enforce.
His current executive orders prohibit gatherings of more than 50 unless local governments approve. Now, he said, these governments will have to have a written agreement with event organizers that they will require and enforce certain safety measures, like distancing and the use of masks.
Nothing in Ducey’s orders affects activities he said are protected by the First Amendment, like the rallies the governor attended this year during President Trump’s campaign.
That, then, leaves the vaccines.
More financial help for restaurants
Ducey said first priority will go to health-care and essential public-safety workers, residents of long-term-care facilities and other “vulnerable” populations.
He is specifically including teachers in that first group.
That dovetails with his often-repeated argument that he wants more in-classroom teaching and less online education. The premise is that once teachers have immunity, they will be more willing to return to work in classrooms.
The date for vaccines for all Arizonans has yet to be determined.
Ducey issued an executive order Wednesday spelling out that all residents will be able to get inoculated “without financial barriers.”
Ducey also set aside $1 million in grants to help restaurants and other dining facilities expand their outdoor dining operations.
There is a separate $100,000 going to the Arizona Restaurant Association for the same purpose, and another $100,000 to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association to aid hotels and their restaurants in strengthening their sanitation and mitigation practices to protect patrons and staff.
Not everything being done for restaurants is financial.
Ducey is suspending a provision in law that says restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages only to patrons dining in-house or at an outdoor patio directly connected to the business. That has proven to be a barrier for restaurants that have received local permission to operate in parking lots and on cordoned-off areas of the street where there is a sidewalk in between.
Tucson Medical Center and the Tucson Fire Department held a drill on April 10, 2020, to help establish procedures and solve problems when hand…
Pima County keeps voluntary curfew, enhances penalties for violating COVID-19 rules
The Pima County supervisors voted Friday to strengthen penalties related to noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations, including the potential suspension of restaurant licenses and civil penalties for people not wearing a mask in public.
In addition to several new enforcement actions, the Board of Supervisors also endorsed a strengthened public-health advisory by the Pima County Health Department that now requires businesses to report any known coronavirus cases.
The county’s voluntary curfew, which began Nov. 24, will remain in place each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 31. Even as other areas of the county are asked to adhere to the voluntary curfew, the city of Tucson voted to implement a mandatory curfew earlier this week, which will be in place from Friday, Dec. 4, to Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“The point of an advisory is to really ensure that people understand the severity of what we are dealing with,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s public-health director. “We are in a crisis situation.”
The increased enforcement measures come as new coronavirus cases reach unprecedented levels throughout the county and state. In the first four days of December, there have been close to 2,900 new infections in the county, exceeding the total number of cases in March, April and May combined.
Hospitals also continue to deal with a record number of COVID-19 patients, reporting only one available ICU bed in the county on Dec. 3. Officials throughout the state continue to see an accelerated growth curve with no signs of slowing down without serious statewide intervention.
“We in the hospitals are being stretched to the limit, even as we speak,” said Dr. Clifford Martin, an infectious-disease specialist at Tucson Medical Center, when addressing the board. “I ask you and the community to do whatever you can to help us in the hospital at this point.”
Based on action taken by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this week, the board decided to enhance enforcement on a number of coronavirus regulations already in place.
Here are the actions that were taken by the board, in 3-2 votes with Republican supervisors Steve Christy and Ally Miller voting no on them:
Business regulations
In July, supervisors adopted a number of temporary measures applicable to restaurants, public pools, gyms, fitness centers, hotels and resorts, such as employee temperature checks, masks and gloves, occupancy limits, social distancing and cleaning requirements.
Under an amended proclamation, the county will now enhance its enforcement of these measures, allowing only one incidence of noncompliance before facing repercussion by the county Health Department. A second violation by a business could result in the possible suspension or revocation of the establishment’s license or operating permit.
Mask compliance
While the county has had a mask mandate in place since June, there were previously no penalties in place for noncompliance. On Friday, the board asked that all county jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies assist in enforcement action, which includes a $50 civil fine for not wearing a mask in public areas.
In addition, the board made it mandatory for businesses to refuse service to anyone entering their establishments without a mask, unless specific exemptions apply. A business could be fined up to $500 if they do not comply.
Event regulations
Anyone wishing to hold an event with more than 50 people will now be required to pay a $1,000 or more compliance deposit, depending on the size of the proposed event. If mitigation strategies are followed during the event, organizers would be entitled to get their deposit back.
There will be on-site inspections of these events to determine compliance.
Curfew
The voluntary countywide curfew, intended to curb evening social gatherings at bars and other places, will remain in place through Dec. 31.
After two weeks, the board will review whether the voluntary curfew and other measures are working by analyzing the number of infections per 100,000 residents as well as the percent of positivity within the county. If the county is still over 100 cases per 100,000 people and over 10% positive, the board will consider moving to a mandatory curfew.
“We don’t know what the next two weeks will bring,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said. “We are at over 350 infections per 100,000. If that continues to increase, we will be back with more measures within the next two weeks.”
Older adults asked to shelter in place
In addition to the curfew, the Health Department is also asking for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions to voluntarily shelter in place, except to seek medical care, purchase food, attend work or other essential activities.
The enhanced public-health advisory also requires businesses to report any confirmed COVID-19 cases within their establishment and further comply with any contact tracing efforts by the Health Department. A website will go live next week for businesses to report these cases to the county.
Photos: April coronavirus patient drill at Tucson Medical Center
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Tucson Medical Center, coronavirus drill
Arizona governor touts COVID vaccine coming soon; spurns calls for curfews, other rules
PHOENIX — Arizona is expected to receive “hundreds of thousands” of COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of this month, with priority for health-care workers, teachers, vulnerable populations and long-term-care residents, the state’s health chief said Wednesday.
The announcement came as Dr. Cara Christ also disclosed that 1 person out of every 7 who got tested for the virus last week in Arizona was infected. She also reported a new one-day record for cases.
But Gov. Doug Ducey, standing by her side, refused to put any new mitigation measures or restrictions in place to get the state to the point where a majority of Arizonans can be inoculated.
He specifically rejected a proposal by the chief medical officers of several Arizona hospitals to put in place a curfew, close restaurants to indoor dining and cancel group athletic activities. Instead, Ducey said he is relying on the idea that Arizona will have sufficient hospital beds to treat those who get ill in the interim.
However, that assumes hospitals can find the qualified medical personnel to staff these beds.
Earlier Wednesday, Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said the problem now, unlike this summer when virus cases peaked here, is that Arizona is no longer the state with the biggest surge. That makes it difficult to recruit help from elsewhere.
And while Banner is in the process of filling 1,500 positions, she said efforts are still underway to hire 900 more.
Ducey did agree Wednesday to provide an additional $60 million to Arizona hospitals to help them find the staff they need to handle the surge of people needing medical care. That is on top of a $25 million infusion less than a month ago.
“Grim” forecasts for this month and next
Bessel said the picture in Arizona is “grim,” predicting that Banner hospitals will hit 125% of bed capacity this month and exceed that, at least briefly, in January.
That trend is not unique to Banner.
Intensive-care-unit bed use is already at 90% of capacity in the state, the most recent data from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows.
Hitting 125% is not necessarily a problem as hospitals are required to have plans in place for such a surge, including converting non-ICU beds and other facilities for intensive-care use.
But the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation predicts the demand for ICU beds will hit 300% of capacity in Arizona by the middle of January unless there are additional steps taken to curb the spread of the virus.
It was for that reason that Bessel and medical officers from Mayo Clinic and Dignity Health specifically asked Christ this week to impose the additional restrictions.
Bessel specifically praised Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council for voting Tuesday to impose a 10 p.m. curfew for three weeks.
“A curfew is mitigation that absolutely can work,” Bessel said. “It can work and it will work if we deploy it.”
Ducey is not willing to take such steps, even as he conceded that the vaccines, which will only start to be available later this month — and only for those in the highest priority classes — won’t make any immediate dent in an increasing trend in cases.
“We are in for a tough several weeks here,” the governor said at his news conference Wednesday.
He said he was giving his “most sincere condolences” to the families of the 6,739 people in Arizona who have died so far from COVID-19.
“We grieve every death in Arizona and want to continue to do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect lives,” Ducey said.
Ducey: Curfews “not the right approach”
But that won’t include the kind of new restrictions being urged by the hospital medical chiefs and others, and not the kind of curfew that takes effect Friday, Dec. 4, in Tucson.
“I don’t think it’s the right approach,” Ducey said. “We want to do things that will allow businesses to operate safely.”
He said the continuing restrictions imposed in late June, like occupancy limits on in-house restaurant dining, movie theaters and fitness centers, along with enforcement, “will be the best things we can do to continue to slow the spread.”
He brushed aside questions about the fact that the spread is not slowing, even as Christ acknowledged that 15% of the tests for the virus conducted last week are coming back positive.
“This week we’re trending higher,” she said.
The number of new cases reported per day hit a record on Nov. 23 in the state. Figures for more recent dates are still being updated.
For Ducey, the focus is on the economy.
“I don’t think the right answer is to throw hundreds of thousands of Arizonans out of work before the holidays to slow this spread because I don’t think it would slow the spread,” he said.
He said there are other complications of restrictions, “like suicide attempts, like depression, like emotional and social disconnection, like child abuse and like domestic violence.”
Safety measures for large events
The lone new regulation of sorts that Ducey did impose Wednesday is not anything the state would enforce.
His current executive orders prohibit gatherings of more than 50 unless local governments approve. Now, he said, these governments will have to have a written agreement with event organizers that they will require and enforce certain safety measures, like distancing and the use of masks.
Nothing in Ducey’s orders affects activities he said are protected by the First Amendment, like the rallies the governor attended this year during President Trump’s campaign.
That, then, leaves the vaccines.
More financial help for restaurants
Ducey said first priority will go to health-care and essential public-safety workers, residents of long-term-care facilities and other “vulnerable” populations.
He is specifically including teachers in that first group.
That dovetails with his often-repeated argument that he wants more in-classroom teaching and less online education. The premise is that once teachers have immunity, they will be more willing to return to work in classrooms.
The date for vaccines for all Arizonans has yet to be determined.
Ducey issued an executive order Wednesday spelling out that all residents will be able to get inoculated “without financial barriers.”
Ducey also set aside $1 million in grants to help restaurants and other dining facilities expand their outdoor dining operations.
There is a separate $100,000 going to the Arizona Restaurant Association for the same purpose, and another $100,000 to the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association to aid hotels and their restaurants in strengthening their sanitation and mitigation practices to protect patrons and staff.
Not everything being done for restaurants is financial.
Ducey is suspending a provision in law that says restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages only to patrons dining in-house or at an outdoor patio directly connected to the business. That has proven to be a barrier for restaurants that have received local permission to operate in parking lots and on cordoned-off areas of the street where there is a sidewalk in between.
Pima County keeps voluntary curfew, enhances penalties for violating COVID-19 rules
The Pima County supervisors voted Friday to strengthen penalties related to noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations, including the potential suspension of restaurant licenses and civil penalties for people not wearing a mask in public.
In addition to several new enforcement actions, the Board of Supervisors also endorsed a strengthened public-health advisory by the Pima County Health Department that now requires businesses to report any known coronavirus cases.
The county’s voluntary curfew, which began Nov. 24, will remain in place each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Dec. 31. Even as other areas of the county are asked to adhere to the voluntary curfew, the city of Tucson voted to implement a mandatory curfew earlier this week, which will be in place from Friday, Dec. 4, to Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“The point of an advisory is to really ensure that people understand the severity of what we are dealing with,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county’s public-health director. “We are in a crisis situation.”
The increased enforcement measures come as new coronavirus cases reach unprecedented levels throughout the county and state. In the first four days of December, there have been close to 2,900 new infections in the county, exceeding the total number of cases in March, April and May combined.
Hospitals also continue to deal with a record number of COVID-19 patients, reporting only one available ICU bed in the county on Dec. 3. Officials throughout the state continue to see an accelerated growth curve with no signs of slowing down without serious statewide intervention.
“We in the hospitals are being stretched to the limit, even as we speak,” said Dr. Clifford Martin, an infectious-disease specialist at Tucson Medical Center, when addressing the board. “I ask you and the community to do whatever you can to help us in the hospital at this point.”
Based on action taken by Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this week, the board decided to enhance enforcement on a number of coronavirus regulations already in place.
Here are the actions that were taken by the board, in 3-2 votes with Republican supervisors Steve Christy and Ally Miller voting no on them:
Business regulations
In July, supervisors adopted a number of temporary measures applicable to restaurants, public pools, gyms, fitness centers, hotels and resorts, such as employee temperature checks, masks and gloves, occupancy limits, social distancing and cleaning requirements.
Under an amended proclamation, the county will now enhance its enforcement of these measures, allowing only one incidence of noncompliance before facing repercussion by the county Health Department. A second violation by a business could result in the possible suspension or revocation of the establishment’s license or operating permit.
Mask compliance
While the county has had a mask mandate in place since June, there were previously no penalties in place for noncompliance. On Friday, the board asked that all county jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies assist in enforcement action, which includes a $50 civil fine for not wearing a mask in public areas.
In addition, the board made it mandatory for businesses to refuse service to anyone entering their establishments without a mask, unless specific exemptions apply. A business could be fined up to $500 if they do not comply.
Event regulations
Anyone wishing to hold an event with more than 50 people will now be required to pay a $1,000 or more compliance deposit, depending on the size of the proposed event. If mitigation strategies are followed during the event, organizers would be entitled to get their deposit back.
There will be on-site inspections of these events to determine compliance.
Curfew
The voluntary countywide curfew, intended to curb evening social gatherings at bars and other places, will remain in place through Dec. 31.
After two weeks, the board will review whether the voluntary curfew and other measures are working by analyzing the number of infections per 100,000 residents as well as the percent of positivity within the county. If the county is still over 100 cases per 100,000 people and over 10% positive, the board will consider moving to a mandatory curfew.
“We don’t know what the next two weeks will bring,” County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said. “We are at over 350 infections per 100,000. If that continues to increase, we will be back with more measures within the next two weeks.”
Older adults asked to shelter in place
In addition to the curfew, the Health Department is also asking for older adults and people with underlying medical conditions to voluntarily shelter in place, except to seek medical care, purchase food, attend work or other essential activities.
The enhanced public-health advisory also requires businesses to report any confirmed COVID-19 cases within their establishment and further comply with any contact tracing efforts by the Health Department. A website will go live next week for businesses to report these cases to the county.