Arizona COVID-19 cases: 7 days
Cases 424,382 | Deaths 7,422
On Tuesday, Dec. 15, Arizona reported 4,134 new cases of COVID-19 and 64 additional deaths. The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to make the 10 p.m. curfew mandatory until the county’s rate of infection decreases significantly.
COVID-19 vaccinations begin Thursday in Pima County
AZPM
Doctors, nurses and other health care workers in Pima County will start getting COVID-19 vaccinations in a couple of days. But the vaccine's arrival does not signal any immediate change for life during the pandemic.
The first vaccinations will go to front-line health care employees starting Thursday at drive-thru clinics at Banner-UMC and Tucson Medical Center. Pima County Health Director Doctor Theresa Cullen says the program will begin with a gradual pilot program.
Tucson nurse describes staff shortages, anti-mask sentiment amid COVID-19 surge
AZPM
New cases of COVID-19 are skyrocketing across Arizona. The state health department reported over 11,000 new cases on Monday, including just over 1,800 in Pima County. County health officials warn this week hospitals could surpass capacity.
Alex is a progressive care nurse in Tucson. We’re not using her last name or the name of her hospital because she worries she could be penalized for talking to the media.
She’s been in medicine for more than a decade. And she says things have never felt like this.
"Just so distraught at the end of every shift, because I can’t do my job," she said.
Pima County curfew now mandatory
Arizona Daily Star
The 10 p.m. curfew in Pima County is now mandatory after the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to make it so, the Arizona Daily Star reports](https://tucson.com/news/local/pima-county-changes-voluntary-curfew-to-mandatory-joining-city-of-tucson/article_7ad1abc1-553e-51e3-875e-b7b957499b4f.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1). Previously, the curfew was voluntary. The city of Tucson already has a mandatory curfew in place.
The mandatory curfew, which goes into effect Tuesday night, will remain in place until Pima County’s rate of infection for the coronavirus drops below 100 out of every 100,000 people.
Arizona averages of COVID-19 deaths, cases double in 2 weeks
AP
PHOENIX — Arizona on Tuesday reported more than 60 new known deaths as the current coronavirus surge saw the rolling seven-day averages of additional cases and deaths more than double over the past two weeks.
The state on Tuesday reported 4,134 additional known cases and 64 deaths, increasing the state’s totals to 424,382 cases and 7,422 deaths. The rolling average of daily new cases rose from 3,499 on Nov. 30 to 7,772.1 on Monday while the rolling average of daily deaths rose from 25 to 58.3.
The number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations reached 3,702 on Monday, setting another record. Arizona on Friday exceeded the summer surge’s peak of 3,517 hospitalizations.
Navajo Nation reports 158 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths
AP
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation began receiving coronavirus vaccine doses on Monday as tribal health officials reported 158 additional COVID-19 cases and two more related deaths. In all, the tribe has reported 19,766 virus cases resulting in 722 deaths since the pandemic began.
On Monday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer visited the Gallup Indian Medical Center as the first vaccine shipment arrived.
The tribe is expecting a total of 3,900 coronavirus vaccine doses to be delivered by Tuesday with about 7,900 more doses arriving next week. Those vaccines will cover healthcare workers, emergency medical staff, traditional practitioners working in Indian Health Service facilities, and the staff and patients in long-term nursing facilities.
8th lawsuit fails to overturn presidential voting in Arizona
AP
PHOENIX — A judge dismissed another lawsuit that sought to decertify Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s win in Arizona, marking the eighth failed case that challenged the election results in the state.
Pinal County Judge Kevin White concluded Tuesday that plaintiff Staci Burk lacked standing to contest the election because she wasn’t a registered voter at the time she filed her lawsuit and that she made her legal challenge after the five-day period for filing such an action had passed.
The decision came a day after Arizona’s 11 Electoral College members cast their votes for Biden, who won the state over Republican President Donald Trump by more than 10,000 votes.
Review deadline changed for Arizona mining project
AP
PHOENIX — The U.S. Forest Service has moved the deadline up to complete its review of the Resolution Copper mine east of Phoenix to the end of the year, accelerating the project before President Donald Trump leaves office.
The Arizona Republic reported that the Tonto National Forest, where the mine would be located, must now submit a final environmental impact statement by Dec. 31. The final document was previously expected in 2021 or 2022.
Opponents have argued the federal agency was pressured to issue a quick approval under Trump. The U.S. Forest Service said the new release date doesn’t reflect an acceleration of the process.
US Supreme Court reinstates Arizona inmate's death sentence
AP
PHOENIX — Authorities say the U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated the death sentence for an Arizona prison inmate convicted of killing a man during a 1994 robbery in Yavapai County.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had sided with George Kayer in his claim that his lawyers made a mistake by not presenting some evidence during his sentencing. The appeals court concluded that Kayer was entitled to a new sentencing trial even though Arizona courts had consistently denied it.
The Supreme Court’s decision Monday reiterates the law that requires federal courts to defer to state court decisions under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
There are more than 100 Arizona death row inmates, but the state hasn’t carried out an execution since July 2014.
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