Arizona coronavirus news in brief, March 26

Select regional coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak as of early afternoon, March 26. For more coverage, visit our resource page. This story may be updated.

Health director predicts illnesses peak in April, hospitalizations in May

AZPM, March 26

Nobody knows for sure when the novel coronavirus will abate, but Cara Christ, head of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said available models do give officials some idea what is ahead for the state.

“We believe the peak of our illnesses will start mid to end of April with peak hospitalizations in May,” she said during a Wednesday briefing.

The prediction from the state’s top health officer does raise questions about Arizona’s ability to treat all the patients.

On Thursday, Gov. Ducey issued an executive order dealing with hospital capacity.

Read more here.

Cochise County preps for increased coronavirus cases

AZPM, March 26

In terms of community spread of coronavirus, Cochise County has one thing going for it in terms of community spread, unlike the urban epicenters of the pandemic: lots of space. Cochise County's entire population is just 133,000.

The county health director said one person per 27 miles is just the mathematical breakdown and not how people actually live, but it does illustrate the county's geographic distribution.

"We're not all out on city streets walking to get our services. We do have to take private transit to get to and from places. We don't have a lot of crowded locations like what you would see in cities."

And, she said, that'll slow the spread of coronavirus. To date, the county has registered two confirmed cases.

On the other hand, all that space can lead to challenges in providing care.

Read more here.

Food demand is up, but farmers not immune to coronavirus impact

AZPM, March 26

Canned beans, ramen noodles and eggs are in short supply at grocery stores.

George Frisvold, a professor of agriculture economics at the University of Arizona, said the empty shelves are due to grocery stores struggling to keep up with a sudden change in the types of food people want.

“America's demand for SPAM probably hasn't quintupled,” he said. “I think right now a lot of the stuff is on the demand side with people hoarding and panicking.”

He said the good news is there’s plenty of food in Southern Arizona.

For farmers, that means demand is high at the end of the winter growing season. But not all farmers are thriving, and a recession induced by the coronavirus could harm Arizona agriculture.

Read more here.

Deadline to get AZ Travel ID postponed until October 2021

AP, March 26

PHOENIX (AP) — The deadline for Arizona residents to obtain a driver's license or ID that complies with federal law has been pushed back by a year.

The Arizona Department of Transportation announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has delayed the deadline until Oct. 1, 2021. The decision was made to help reduce crowds at motor vehicle offices during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Getting an AZ Travel ID must be done in person.

Initially, the updated ID that will be required to fly commercially and enter federal facilities would enforced starting this October.

Arizona National Guard work picks up as virus cases rise

AP, March 26

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona National Guard is stepping up its efforts to bolster the food supply amid extraordinary demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.

A few dozen soldiers packed bags of food Thursday at food banks in Mesa and Tucson, and others prepared to move goods between warehouses and grocery stores. The missions come as state health officials say there is now “widespread” community spread of the virus from person to person.

The number of known cases of COVID-19 rose to 508 statewide with eight dead. All but Gila and Greenlee counties now have known cases and are subject to business restrictions imposed by Gov. Doug Ducey in areas with cases reported.

Protesters demand stricter virus screenings at Mexico border

AP, March 26

NOGALES, Ariz. (AP) — Protesters are demanding stricter screenings for coronavirus on southbound traffic at the U.S.-Mexico border .

They say they’re concerned that travelers from the U.S. could import new COVID-19 cases into Mexico. On Wednesday, protesters on the Mexican side of the border blocked the Mexico-bound lanes in the twin border cities of Ambos Nogales for several hours.

The group of citizens who call themselves the Sonorans for Health and Life parked two cars across the lanes leading out of a port of entry. About a half-dozen protesters then stood in the blocked lanes, holding signs and slogans such as “We demand control of the border.”

Appeals grow to close US national parks during pandemic

AP, March 26

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is sticking with its crowd-friendly waiver of entrance fees at national parks during the coronavirus outbreak.

That's even as managers at some parks try and fail to keep tens of thousands of hikers and tourists a safe distance apart and as communities appeal for shutdowns at some parks that are still open.

Communities around Grand Canyon National Park are among those asking for a shutdown, saying they fear more local spread of the coronavirus. The Interior Department says there's been no decision on that request.

Read more here.

Sonoran governor declares emergency

Fronteras Desk, March 25

Sonora, Arizona’s neighbor to the south, has declared a health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Claudia Pavlovich made the announcement in a video released Wednesday and said measures would be rolled out over the next 72 hours. Among them is calling for some business activity to cease so workers can stay home.

But “essential activities” necessary to guarantee the supply of food, medicine, medical equipment, water, electricity, fuel and other essentials will continue, the governor said.

Ducey OKs new hospital fee bill that will get them more cash

AP, March 25

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation that will charge hospitals a new fee but bring them higher Medicaid payments in return.

It will assess hospitals about $350 million a year for services provided to outpatients. Hospitals, physicians and other providers would in return get higher payments for caring for patients with Medicaid expected to total $1.1 billion.

The higher payments are expected to eliminate an estimated $1 billion in unreimbursed costs. Ducey signed the bill that overwhelmingly passed the Legislature on Wednesday.

Read more here.

Army Corps of Engineers aids Arizona as virus surge looms

AP, March 25

PHOENIX (AP) — Officials from Arizona's health department and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent hours Wednesday scouring a shuttered Phoenix hospital to see how quickly it could be running if a surge of coronavirus cases hits.

The state is looking to reopen two closed Phoenix hospitals and convert a specialty hospital. It may need to add up to 13,000 new beds to supplement the 16,000 available now. That means boosting hospital capacity, reopening closed ones and adding big sites at large facilities.

The dire predictions come as the number of cases statewide reached 401 Wednesday, up from just 30 a week before.

Read more here.

Navajo water access compounds response to coronavirus

Fronteras Desk, March 25

As health officials urge us to wash hands to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, 2 million Americans without access to clean running water have become some of the most vulnerable. On Thursday, the Navajo Nation reported 69 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

About 40% of Navajos must drive several miles to haul their water, and many still use outhouses. Shanna Yazzie, who lives in Cameron, drives 50 miles for her drinking water, groceries and other necessities.

With H1N1 in 2009, American Indians and Alaska Natives had mortality rates that were four times the rates of all other racial and ethnic groups combined. That's according to a study by the National Institutes of Health.

Read more here.