Arizona COVID-19 cases: 7 days
Cases: 812,907 | Deaths 15,814
On Thursday, Feb. 25, Arizona reported 939 new cases of COVID-19 and 121 additional deaths. Thursday marks the first day since Nov. 30, 2020 that Arizona reported less than a thousand new cases of the virus, according to the Associated Press.
UA gives Pima County COVID-19 vaccines
AZPM
The University of Arizona is sending 1,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Pima County so the county can continue its mobile vaccine program.
The county was forced to curtail the mobile program, which goes into underserved communities, when weather delayed the delivery of the county’s full Moderna allotment.
State officials said Arizona’s shipment of last week’s Moderna vaccines should be in the state in the coming days.
Health officials also said, the forthcoming Johnson and Johnson vaccine could be in Arizona as soon as next week. A lag in manufacturing will keep it out of wide circulation for a bit longer, according to state officials.
TUSD prepares to reopen, but number of students remaining online is unclear
AZPM
The Tucson Unified School District is preparing to reopen the week of March 22. But it’s not yet certain how many students will be attending school online versus in-person.
Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo said as of Wednesday afternoon, 41% of parents still have not chosen which learning method they want their students in.
So far, Trujillo says, 30% of parents have chosen to keep their kids in remote learning, while 29% enrolled their students in either fulltime in-person classes or a hybrid model, depending on the child’s grade level.
Apache Stronghold files emergency appeal in Oak Flat case
AZPM
A nonprofit advocating for the protection of Oak Flat, an Apache religious site, filed an emergency appeal Tuesday in its pursuit to overturn a federal judge's decision to allow the site's transfer to a copper company.
This emergency appeal is meant to speed up the legal process as March 11 approaches – the day the federal government is expected to swap thousands of acres of Tonto National Forest land, which includes Oak Flat, for land owned by Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of international copper companies.
If the land transfer takes place, the proposed copper mine would be one of the largest in the country, transforming Oak Flat into a crater and extinguishing Apache religious practices there.
Tucson approves minimum wage increase for city workers
AP
City officials in Tucson have increased its minimum wage, effective immediately, boosting compensation for more than half of its workforce.
The Tucson City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to increase its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The city says about 170 workers making less than $15 an hour will see a bump in pay and 2,000 workers who already make around that amount will get some kind of increase to avoid compression issues.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said she did not have an estimate for what the increase would cost the city but said there is money for it in general and special funds.
Missing 78-year-old man found dead in a Tucson national park
AP
Pima County Sheriff’s officials say a 78-year-old man reported missing earlier this month has been found dead in a Tucson national park.
They say deputies received information from the U.S. Park Service around noon Wednesday that a body had been located in Saguaro National Park West. Deputies responded to the scene and were able to identify the dead man as William Trotter.
Sheriff’s officials say the dead doesn’t appear to be suspicious, but their investigation is ongoing and pending an autopsy. They say Trotter was reported missing by friends after not being seen for several days. Trotter was officially listed as a missing person on Feb. 9.
Arizona reports 121 deaths from COVID-19 as outbreak slows
AP
PHOENIX — Arizona on Thursday reported 121 deaths from COVID-19 but only 939 additional confirmed cases amid indicators of continued slowing of the coronavirus outbreak.
The 939 additional cases marked the first day since Nov. 30 that the state Department of Health Services reported fewer than 1,000 additional confirmed cases. The latest figures increased Arizona’s pandemic totals to 812,907 cases and 15,814 deaths.
The state’s coronavirus dashboard indicated COVID-19-related hospitalizations continued to drop and data from The COVID Tracking Project showed that seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths declined from two weeks ago.
Navajo Nation reports 25 new COVID-19 cases, but no deaths
AP
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation health officials on Wednesday reported 25 new confirmed COVID-19 cases with no additional deaths.
The latest numbers bring the total number of cases on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to 29,602 since the pandemic began. There have been 1,152 reported deaths that were related to COVID-19.
The Navajo Department of Health on Monday identified 21 communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 from Feb. 5-18. That’s an increase from last week’s 15 communities, but down from 75 communities with uncontrolled coronavirus spread last month.
Under Biden, Razor Wire On U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Stays
Fronteras Desk
The Biden administration vowed to halt projects along the Mexico border implemented under former President Trump. But a new government contract reviewed by KJZZ shows one of the Trump administration’s most divisive projects in Arizona is continuing.
The federal government asked contractors to submit bids for maintenance of what it calls tactical infrastructure within the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector. That includes repairing roads and lights installed along the border wall. It also includes repairing the concertina wire that the government installed on the border wall where it divides cities like Nogales from Mexico.
Arizona fined $1M for failing to improve prison health care
AP
PHOENIX — A judge presiding over a legal settlement on the quality of healthcare in Arizona’s prisons imposed $1.1 million in contempt of court fines against the state for failing to follow through on promises to improve inmate care.
It marked the second time the state faced penalties for remaining noncompliant with many elements of the deal.
The fine was imposed Wednesday by Judge Roslyn Silver after corrections officials had been dogged by complaints that they were dragging their feet in making changes. Corrections officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another judge had fined the state $1.4 million in 2018.
Arizona Senate advances anti-abortion legislation
AP
PHOENIX — The Arizona Senate has advanced a measure to ban abortions because of genetic abnormalities.
The measure would make it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion for that reason and allow a father or maternal grandparents to sue on behalf of the fetus. It also would prohibit pharmacies from providing abortion-inducing drugs through the mail and require that fetal remains be buried or cremated.
The measure was given preliminary approval on Wednesday and is likely to receive a final vote in the coming days. It comes as the Republican-controlled Legislature embraces anti-abortion legislation that may stand a better chance of withstanding a challenge now that the U.S. Supreme Court has moved to the right.
House votes to raise Arizona's low unemployment pay
AP
PHOENIX — The Arizona House has voted to raise Arizona’s super-low $240 maximum weekly unemployment benefit to $300 at the start of 2022 and impose a small increase in employer insurance premiums to pay for the increase.
The proposal from Republican Rep. David Cook passed on a 50-9 vote Wednesday.
The Senate is considering a different proposal backed by GOP President Sen. Karen Fann. Fann’s proposal appears to have bipartisan support in the Senate and increases the weekly unemployment pay to $320 by midsummer of this year. But it also cuts the number of weeks a person is eligible to 20 from 26 when the state unemployment rate is below 6%.
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