Arizona COVID-19 cumulative counts, Dec. 14
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COVID-19 cases surge in Arizona two weeks after stay-home order lifted
AZPM
COVID-19 cases are surging in Arizona, two weeks after Gov. Doug Ducey allowed his stay-at-home order to expire.
Data from the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University shows the state adding an average of 638 cases per day over the last seven days. Just a week ago, the state was averaging 338 cases per day.
Hospitalizations are also reaching new highs.
Hundreds face eviction in Pima County as hearings proceed despite pandemic
AZPM
Pima County resumed eviction proceedings Monday with nearly 600 people facing homelessness over the next three weeks.
The Pima County Justice Court cleared its eviction calendar in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, with the county enduring record unemployment, hundreds of so-called “failure to pay” hearings can proceed.
A March executive order from Gov. Doug Ducey allows a tenant to delay enforcement of their eviction until July 22 if they couldn't make rent due to the pandemic and they notified their landlord. But housing advocates are warning the order isn't enough..
Virus case count surges as 40 new Arizona deaths reported
AP
GLENDALE — Arizona officials are reporting nearly 1,000 new coronavirus cases amid a recent surge in hospitalizations.
The state Department of Health Services on Wednesday reported 40 new deaths. bringing the fatality toll to 981. Hospitals reported 1,092 people were being treated for the virus, with 379 of them in intensive care and 239 on ventilators.
The daily hospitalization number topped 1,000 for the first time on Monday and increased by 83 on Tuesday. The total number of cases in Arizona now stands at 22,223.
TUSD supe: Reopening guidelines 'good,' but 'very costly'
AZPM Feature
The Tucson Unified School District has 89 schools and thousands of students. Administrators now are figuring out how to reopen the schools in the fall.
Earlier this week, the state issued nearly 40 pages of guidance for opening schools in the fall, covering everything from lunchrooms, to classrooms, to school buses. TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said the document is comprehensive but is missing one important element: how to pay for it.
“It’s great, they are great recommendations, great messaging. We see nowhere in this document where a new funding source is offered, or they are proposing a new mechanism to pay for the very, very costly recommendations that are being recommended in this roadmap,” said Trujillo.
Tucson airport will require face masks starting this weekend
AZPM
Tucson International Airport will require face masks for nearly everyone starting Saturday. The new rule applies to all who enter the airport, whether they're employees, passengers or visitors.
An airport news release allows some exceptions, such as children younger than 2 and people with disabilities. Masks can also be removed while eating at the airport.
The order comes two days after Sky Harbor in Phoenix began requiring face coverings. Tucson airport officials say their passenger traffic is still well below normal because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is rising faster than the national average. That makes social distancing more difficult.
Phoenix protesters gear up for 7th day of demonstrations
AP
PHOENIX — Protesters in Phoenix are rallying in scorching heat, marking a full week of demonstrations over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Hundreds of people stood outside Phoenix City Council chambers on Wednesday, holding signs and umbrellas as the temperature hit 108 degrees by early afternoon. Protesters were there to call on council members, who are scheduled to meet later in the day, to defund the police department and divert more money to under-served communities. The rally will be followed by a wider protest at 5 p.m.
Arizona Democrats seek police reform, offer suggestions
AP
PHOENIX — Democratic lawmakers in Arizona have asked Republic Gov. Doug Ducey to call a special session to address police reform in the state following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Democrats’ letter came as demonstrations have erupted across the country over the death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody. Requests in the letter include requiring all police officers to wear body cameras, conducting outside investigations of any deadly use-of-force cases and creating a statewide database of officers’ history of misconduct.
Spokesman Patrick Ptak has said Ducey talked to community leaders and lawmakers with both parties about the issue.
USCIS Phoenix office reopening
Fronteras Desk
The Phoenix field office for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is on track for a limited reopening Thursday, but coronavirus safety means waiting at least a couple more weeks to completely restart.
Regular in-person services went on hold nearly 80 days ago, when Citizenship and Immigration Services closed field offices because of COVID-19.
The agency’s job is to decide who qualifies for immigration benefits like green cards. Nearly all of the money to fuel the work comes from fees paid by applicants. Citizenship and Immigration Services has asked Congress for $1.2 billion in emergency funding.
A spokesperson says the Phoenix field office will only host limited emergency and in-person public services, like naturalization ceremonies. All other services are scheduled to start again June 18.
Malaria drug fails to prevent COVID-19 in a rigorous study
AP
Researchers say that a malaria drug President Donald Trump took to try to prevent COVID-19 proved ineffective for that in the first large, high-quality study to test it in health workers and others closely exposed to people with the disease.
Results published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine show that hydroxychloroquine was no better than placebo pills at preventing illness from the coronavirus. The study involved 821 people in the U.S. or Canada who took the drug or placebo pills for five days. Two weeks later, illness rates were similar in both groups.
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