The University of Arizona has finalized how their classes will operate this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, the school’s administration says.
“It’s up to the individual professor; they’re going to decide that. It’s definitely not the administration,” President Robert Robbins said during a news conference Thursday. Faculty worked with their department's leadership in effort to have 50% of each degree program with some element of in-person instruction.
“Students, either today or Monday can go in and find the course that they’re signed up for and they will find out from their professor, will it be all remote or one of the three options we laid out. Because some professors will say ‘we’re not comfortable going face-to-face, so we’ll have one of these other modalities,’ ” Robbins said.
The class styles they chose from are: in-person with enhanced health protections; a flex of in-person and online instruction; live online classes; and ICourses that students complete at their pace.
The UA will start the school year on Aug. 24.
It will do so with fewer employees. Some 250 have lost their job as of Thursday amid an anticipated revenue loss of about $280 million through the 2021 fiscal year related to the pandemic.
Robbins said the UA’s current furlough plan beginning Aug. 10 “is designed to try and save jobs. We do not want to have to lay people off, but people will get laid off in this process.”
Robbins added that “it’s a fact of reality, and we have to work with our stakeholders and shared governance partners, but at the end of the day, we have to be fiscally responsible, and we have to have the university survive financially.”
Although the administration has not mentioned any concerns with fewer instructors causing increased course caps during a pandemic, there are concerns around the day-to-day interactions of students in and around campus.
Approximately 6,600 students have sent in their deposits to live on campus during the semester, according to Robbins.
Those students will have to test negative before moving into their dormitory assignments, Robbins said.
If a student becomes infected with the coronavirus on campus, facilities management will send a sanitation team to that area and evacuate it until it’s sanitized. The infected person will then go into a quarantine process within a dorm set aside for positive cases.
Students and employees will be asked to sign up for the Wildcat Wellcheck, a text-based screening tool that will ask them questions about their health every day and may give advice on whether or not to interact on campus.
Temperature checks will also be used in the dorms, according to Dr. Richard Carmona, the UA’s reentry taskforce leader.
“To go into government buildings, you have to get a temperature check. When you get your temperature checked, there’s a little circle put on your ID card that shows you were cleared today to go in and out of the building. So those are all things that we’re working on now,” Carmona said.
Carmona also said there’s no room for complacency when instituting safety measures on campus given the current status of the virus statewide.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that the 20- to 44-year-old age range has the most confirmed coronavirus cases. It’s a situation Carmona called the “sweet spot” for many in the UA community.
“The incidence of the disease is higher, and how you interpret that is that’s a tough group to get to change their behaviors. When we have thousands of students coming back who are 20 to 21 years old, and they’re used to high-fiving, bear hugs, bro hugs, hanging out and sharing their drinks with their buds, that’s a problem,” Carmona said.
While getting students to cooperate with safety measures, such as wearing masks, won’t be a campus police problem, Robbins said the administration is working on enforcement measures.
“I think we can pull this off. We have been planning for months and months, but it requires people to follow the rules,” Robbins said. “That will get us 90% of the way there.”
From May:
Two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and two F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing, combined to honor Pima County’s first responders and medical professionals fighting COVID-19 with a flyover.
Photos: Military flyover honors Tucson-area first responders, hospital workers
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Personnel from Tucson Medical Center line the heliport to watch A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
People in the parking lot at Tucson Medical Center manage to grab some video as A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Hospital staff outside Northwest Medical Center photograph two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, as they fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, are seen above east Tucson as they fly over hospitals in Pima County, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff wait for two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, to fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Nancy Celix-Campos, right, a respitory therapist at Tucson Medical Center, watches the military flyover with her daughters, Giana, 12, and Jazmyn, 8, from Sentinel Peak on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on. "It's been an exhausting two to three months," says Campos, "it's pretty cool, I like how they're going by each hospital."
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Spectators gather at the top of Sentinel Peak to watch the military flyover on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff 2020
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals on May 14, 2020, to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
With coronavirus cases at lowest totals since May, officials 'anxious' about student-caused jump
UpdatedA dip in cases per capita of the coronavirus in Pima County, as well as drops in the positive test rate and hospital visits from the virus, pushed the county into the state’s “moderate” status for business reopening.
But Pima County’s chief medical officer said that while the numbers are trending in the right direction, the reopening of gyms, fitness centers and movie theaters, alongside the looming potential of another spike, makes him a “bit uncomfortable.”
“It is not in the businesses’ best interests or the county’s best interest to be whipsawing between closure and opening and closure and opening,” Dr. Francisco Garcia said. “It accomplishes nothing. It frustrates operators. It sends the wrong signal. It doesn’t accomplish the policy objective which is we need to keep these things going in the right trend.”
Pima County saw a slight uptick in cases during the week ending Aug. 15, but has seen a sharp drop-off since, with 470 cases reported from Aug. 16-22, the county’s lowest total since late May. That coincided with continued state-wide decreases in deaths, new cases and hospitalizations. It’s possible these numbers change as data gets backfilled.
Those totals, along with a positive test rate of 5%, meant Pima County this week achieved the Arizona Department of Health Services’ criteria for reopening certain businesses with restrictions, including limited capacity.
Garcia said his concern stems from the fact that the county saw its biggest spike after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-at-home protocols in May. That prompted Pima County to reach highs in cases, hospitalizations and deaths around July 4. The numbers started dipping after the county instituted a mask requirement.
The business reopenings are coming roughly at the same time as the return of the University of Arizona students. The expectation, based on what’s happening on college campuses around the country, is that the county will see a spike in cases likely three weeks after the students returned in mid-August.
“The part that I worry about is that this is the population that is the most socially engaged and gregarious, and the population that feels invulnerable,” Garcia said. “Put that in the middle of what we’re living today and it’s a bad combo.”
Photos: Military flyover honors Tucson-area first responders, hospital workers
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Personnel from Tucson Medical Center line the heliport to watch A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
People in the parking lot at Tucson Medical Center manage to grab some video as A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Hospital staff outside Northwest Medical Center photograph two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, as they fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, are seen above east Tucson as they fly over hospitals in Pima County, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff wait for two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, to fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Nancy Celix-Campos, right, a respitory therapist at Tucson Medical Center, watches the military flyover with her daughters, Giana, 12, and Jazmyn, 8, from Sentinel Peak on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on. "It's been an exhausting two to three months," says Campos, "it's pretty cool, I like how they're going by each hospital."
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Spectators gather at the top of Sentinel Peak to watch the military flyover on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff 2020
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals on May 14, 2020, to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
With coronavirus cases at lowest totals since May, officials 'anxious' about student-caused jump
UpdatedA dip in cases per capita of the coronavirus in Pima County, as well as drops in the positive test rate and hospital visits from the virus, pushed the county into the state’s “moderate” status for business reopening.
But Pima County’s chief medical officer said that while the numbers are trending in the right direction, the reopening of gyms, fitness centers and movie theaters, alongside the looming potential of another spike, makes him a “bit uncomfortable.”
“It is not in the businesses’ best interests or the county’s best interest to be whipsawing between closure and opening and closure and opening,” Dr. Francisco Garcia said. “It accomplishes nothing. It frustrates operators. It sends the wrong signal. It doesn’t accomplish the policy objective which is we need to keep these things going in the right trend.”
Pima County saw a slight uptick in cases during the week ending Aug. 15, but has seen a sharp drop-off since, with 470 cases reported from Aug. 16-22, the county’s lowest total since late May. That coincided with continued state-wide decreases in deaths, new cases and hospitalizations. It’s possible these numbers change as data gets backfilled.
Those totals, along with a positive test rate of 5%, meant Pima County this week achieved the Arizona Department of Health Services’ criteria for reopening certain businesses with restrictions, including limited capacity.
Garcia said his concern stems from the fact that the county saw its biggest spike after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-at-home protocols in May. That prompted Pima County to reach highs in cases, hospitalizations and deaths around July 4. The numbers started dipping after the county instituted a mask requirement.
The business reopenings are coming roughly at the same time as the return of the University of Arizona students. The expectation, based on what’s happening on college campuses around the country, is that the county will see a spike in cases likely three weeks after the students returned in mid-August.
“The part that I worry about is that this is the population that is the most socially engaged and gregarious, and the population that feels invulnerable,” Garcia said. “Put that in the middle of what we’re living today and it’s a bad combo.”
Photos: Military flyover honors Tucson-area first responders, hospital workers
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Personnel from Tucson Medical Center line the heliport to watch A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
People in the parking lot at Tucson Medical Center manage to grab some video as A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Hospital staff outside Northwest Medical Center photograph two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, as they fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, are seen above east Tucson as they fly over hospitals in Pima County, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff wait for two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, to fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Nancy Celix-Campos, right, a respitory therapist at Tucson Medical Center, watches the military flyover with her daughters, Giana, 12, and Jazmyn, 8, from Sentinel Peak on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on. "It's been an exhausting two to three months," says Campos, "it's pretty cool, I like how they're going by each hospital."
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Spectators gather at the top of Sentinel Peak to watch the military flyover on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff 2020
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals on May 14, 2020, to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
With coronavirus cases at lowest totals since May, officials 'anxious' about student-caused jump
UpdatedA dip in cases per capita of the coronavirus in Pima County, as well as drops in the positive test rate and hospital visits from the virus, pushed the county into the state’s “moderate” status for business reopening.
But Pima County’s chief medical officer said that while the numbers are trending in the right direction, the reopening of gyms, fitness centers and movie theaters, alongside the looming potential of another spike, makes him a “bit uncomfortable.”
“It is not in the businesses’ best interests or the county’s best interest to be whipsawing between closure and opening and closure and opening,” Dr. Francisco Garcia said. “It accomplishes nothing. It frustrates operators. It sends the wrong signal. It doesn’t accomplish the policy objective which is we need to keep these things going in the right trend.”
Pima County saw a slight uptick in cases during the week ending Aug. 15, but has seen a sharp drop-off since, with 470 cases reported from Aug. 16-22, the county’s lowest total since late May. That coincided with continued state-wide decreases in deaths, new cases and hospitalizations. It’s possible these numbers change as data gets backfilled.
Those totals, along with a positive test rate of 5%, meant Pima County this week achieved the Arizona Department of Health Services’ criteria for reopening certain businesses with restrictions, including limited capacity.
Garcia said his concern stems from the fact that the county saw its biggest spike after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-at-home protocols in May. That prompted Pima County to reach highs in cases, hospitalizations and deaths around July 4. The numbers started dipping after the county instituted a mask requirement.
The business reopenings are coming roughly at the same time as the return of the University of Arizona students. The expectation, based on what’s happening on college campuses around the country, is that the county will see a spike in cases likely three weeks after the students returned in mid-August.
“The part that I worry about is that this is the population that is the most socially engaged and gregarious, and the population that feels invulnerable,” Garcia said. “Put that in the middle of what we’re living today and it’s a bad combo.”
Photos: Military flyover honors Tucson-area first responders, hospital workers
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Personnel from Tucson Medical Center line the heliport to watch A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
People in the parking lot at Tucson Medical Center manage to grab some video as A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Hospital staff outside Northwest Medical Center photograph two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, as they fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, are seen above east Tucson as they fly over hospitals in Pima County, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff wait for two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, to fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Nancy Celix-Campos, right, a respitory therapist at Tucson Medical Center, watches the military flyover with her daughters, Giana, 12, and Jazmyn, 8, from Sentinel Peak on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on. "It's been an exhausting two to three months," says Campos, "it's pretty cool, I like how they're going by each hospital."
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Spectators gather at the top of Sentinel Peak to watch the military flyover on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff 2020
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals on May 14, 2020, to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
With coronavirus cases at lowest totals since May, officials 'anxious' about student-caused jump
UpdatedA dip in cases per capita of the coronavirus in Pima County, as well as drops in the positive test rate and hospital visits from the virus, pushed the county into the state’s “moderate” status for business reopening.
But Pima County’s chief medical officer said that while the numbers are trending in the right direction, the reopening of gyms, fitness centers and movie theaters, alongside the looming potential of another spike, makes him a “bit uncomfortable.”
“It is not in the businesses’ best interests or the county’s best interest to be whipsawing between closure and opening and closure and opening,” Dr. Francisco Garcia said. “It accomplishes nothing. It frustrates operators. It sends the wrong signal. It doesn’t accomplish the policy objective which is we need to keep these things going in the right trend.”
Pima County saw a slight uptick in cases during the week ending Aug. 15, but has seen a sharp drop-off since, with 470 cases reported from Aug. 16-22, the county’s lowest total since late May. That coincided with continued state-wide decreases in deaths, new cases and hospitalizations. It’s possible these numbers change as data gets backfilled.
Those totals, along with a positive test rate of 5%, meant Pima County this week achieved the Arizona Department of Health Services’ criteria for reopening certain businesses with restrictions, including limited capacity.
Garcia said his concern stems from the fact that the county saw its biggest spike after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-at-home protocols in May. That prompted Pima County to reach highs in cases, hospitalizations and deaths around July 4. The numbers started dipping after the county instituted a mask requirement.
The business reopenings are coming roughly at the same time as the return of the University of Arizona students. The expectation, based on what’s happening on college campuses around the country, is that the county will see a spike in cases likely three weeks after the students returned in mid-August.
“The part that I worry about is that this is the population that is the most socially engaged and gregarious, and the population that feels invulnerable,” Garcia said. “Put that in the middle of what we’re living today and it’s a bad combo.”
Photos: Military flyover honors Tucson-area first responders, hospital workers
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Personnel from Tucson Medical Center line the heliport to watch A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
People in the parking lot at Tucson Medical Center manage to grab some video as A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and F-16 Fighting Falcon's from the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing make a pass over the facility, one leg of an area wide community flyover, May 14, 2020, Tucson, Ariz.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Hospital staff outside Northwest Medical Center photograph two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, as they fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Northwest Medical Center north of Tucson on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, are seen above east Tucson as they fly over hospitals in Pima County, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff capture two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, on their phones as they fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Hospital staff wait for two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, to fly over Banner University Medical Center, on May 14, 2020.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Nancy Celix-Campos, right, a respitory therapist at Tucson Medical Center, watches the military flyover with her daughters, Giana, 12, and Jazmyn, 8, from Sentinel Peak on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on. "It's been an exhausting two to three months," says Campos, "it's pretty cool, I like how they're going by each hospital."
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff
Spectators gather at the top of Sentinel Peak to watch the military flyover on May 14, 2020. Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
Flyover to honor first responders, hospital staff 2020
Updated
Two F-16 Fighting Falcons from Arizona Air National GuardÕs 162nd Wing and two A-10 Thunderbolt II's from the 355th Wing, assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, fly over Tucson area hospitals on May 14, 2020, to honor healthcare personnel and first responders as they are some of the frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) head on.
With coronavirus cases at lowest totals since May, officials 'anxious' about student-caused jump
UpdatedA dip in cases per capita of the coronavirus in Pima County, as well as drops in the positive test rate and hospital visits from the virus, pushed the county into the state’s “moderate” status for business reopening.
But Pima County’s chief medical officer said that while the numbers are trending in the right direction, the reopening of gyms, fitness centers and movie theaters, alongside the looming potential of another spike, makes him a “bit uncomfortable.”
“It is not in the businesses’ best interests or the county’s best interest to be whipsawing between closure and opening and closure and opening,” Dr. Francisco Garcia said. “It accomplishes nothing. It frustrates operators. It sends the wrong signal. It doesn’t accomplish the policy objective which is we need to keep these things going in the right trend.”
Pima County saw a slight uptick in cases during the week ending Aug. 15, but has seen a sharp drop-off since, with 470 cases reported from Aug. 16-22, the county’s lowest total since late May. That coincided with continued state-wide decreases in deaths, new cases and hospitalizations. It’s possible these numbers change as data gets backfilled.
Those totals, along with a positive test rate of 5%, meant Pima County this week achieved the Arizona Department of Health Services’ criteria for reopening certain businesses with restrictions, including limited capacity.
Garcia said his concern stems from the fact that the county saw its biggest spike after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted stay-at-home protocols in May. That prompted Pima County to reach highs in cases, hospitalizations and deaths around July 4. The numbers started dipping after the county instituted a mask requirement.
The business reopenings are coming roughly at the same time as the return of the University of Arizona students. The expectation, based on what’s happening on college campuses around the country, is that the county will see a spike in cases likely three weeks after the students returned in mid-August.
“The part that I worry about is that this is the population that is the most socially engaged and gregarious, and the population that feels invulnerable,” Garcia said. “Put that in the middle of what we’re living today and it’s a bad combo.”
