The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer.
Senior Vice President, Research and Innovation
‘The living laboratory” is a common refrain on the University of Arizona campus. Here in North America’s hottest desert, our surroundings offer exceptional biodiversity, the opportunity to exercise outdoors virtually year-round and unique challenges, from wildfire to drought to monsoon floods.
On Tumamoc Hill — an 860-acre ecological preserve managed in partnership by the University of Arizona and Pima County — both the beauty of our landscape and the current public-health crisis exist side by side.
Nearly every day, over 1,000 visitors walk among the Sonoran Desert’s native flora and fauna, up and down Tumamoc Hill. Providing a glimpse into history and culture — preserved in archaeological remains and a site vital to the Tohono O’odham and other native nations — as well as a rigorous workout and an idyllic place to study desert ecology, Tumamoc is a gathering place. It is also a stage for all of Tucson to show compassion for one another, a commitment to community health, and trust in science to provide us with the guidance we need to be resilient.
Just a few weeks ago, the state was leading the nation in coronavirus cases per capita, with ICU bed utilization soaring to an alarming 90%, forcing hospitals across Pima County to transfer coronavirus-positive patients to neighboring counties with available beds. As of July 26, Arizona had seen more than 162,000 cases and more than 3,300 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. On July 23, Gov. Doug Ducey announced a statewide campaign to promote the use of masks and other precautions to contain the spread of COVID-19.
While our outlook has improved since July, our work is far from done. Tumamoc Hill is one locale where we as a community can continue doing the important work of not only flattening the curve, but of bending it downward.
Tumamoc Hill closed due to the coronavirus on March 18 and reopened on May 25. To avoid another closure of the hill, the percentage of walkers wearing masks must increase. On the morning of July 24, just over 50% of walkers wore masks — a marked improvement from weeks prior, but we must do better. If we can increase mask wearing on Tumamoc Hill to at least 75% of walkers, and maintain that percentage compliance, we will be able to keep the hill open to the public while limiting the spread of the virus.
On the University of Arizona campus, masks are required in University buildings and outdoor spaces, such as Tumamoc Hill, where 6 feet of distance is difficult to maintain. We understand that hiking in a mask is not easy, nor ideal—especially in the summer heat. But contracting the coronavirus can be deadly for many in our community. Each one of us must take responsibility for the protection of one another, doing everything in our power to avoid spreading this disease. And while being outdoors in open air does decrease the risk of transmission, social-distancing on Tumamoc Hill is not always possible during peak walking hours.
We must all rise to the occasion and do what it takes to care for each other. We know that wearing a mask reduces transmission of the virus, and we know that Tucsonans want Tumamoc Hill to stay open and to remain a place of refuge and community well-being. To accomplish both, we must mask up.
