July 16, 2020 / Modified jul 16, 2020 5:22 p.m.

Daily news roundup: Eviction protection extended, record AZ unemployment, nurses' union contract

Recent coverage impacting Southern Arizona, July 16.

Cases 134,613 | Deaths 2,492 | Diagnostic tests 748,491

On Thursday, July 16, the state reported 3,259 new cases of COVID-19 and 58 new deaths. The state listed 3,545 inpatient hospitalizations for the day before, a number that has lingered in that range for a week. Intensive care unit beds in the state were at 89% capacity, while 53% of ventilators in Arizona hospitals were in use.


Ducey extends eviction protection

AZPM

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday extended an eviction protection for renters that was set to expire next week, temporarily easing fears that thousands in the state would be forced out of their homes as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on people's financial security.

The July 16 announcement extends a March 24 moratorium on residential evictions until Oct. 31. The governor also said $5 million would be going toward a program to provide aid to homeowners trying to avoid foreclosure without rental income, as well as additional funding for rental assistance.

Ducey promised more guidance next week for the reopening of the state's schools, whose start date had been delayed until Aug. 17, saying more flexibility would be built into the process.

Learn more here.


Unemployment sets new record in Arizona

AZPM

First-time unemployment claims last week reached 263,000, a record for Arizona during the pandemic. To put that in context, during January and February the average weekly unemployment numbers showed about 3,000 filing first-time claims.

For the week ending July 11, the number of first-time claims jumped by 50,000 according to new data released by the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

The largest increase was in first-time filers who are unemployed, but those who are eligible for regular unemployment also increased.

The number of first-time claims has more than doubled since the start of June as has the number of continuing claims.

To see the numbers click here.


700 already facing homelessness in Pima County due to evictions

AZPM

At least 700 households in Pima County have been evicted in the last month and a half and are facing — or already experiencing — homelessness.

The additional $600 in weekly jobless benefits provided in the federal CARES Act will disappear on July 25, cutting over 600,000 Arizonans’ weekly unemployment check from $840 to $240. A ban on evictions in rentals with federally backed mortgages will also expire that day.

An informal survey conducted by a housing association found between 1% and 3% of renters in the state are not able to pay rent, or have stopped communicating with their landlord, according to the survey of over 100,000 rental units.

Learn more here.


Nurses reach contract with St. Joseph's, St. Mary's

AZPM

Union membership may be at historic lows, especially in right-to-work states like Arizona that make organizing difficult. But that didn't stop nurses at the two Tucson hospitals from organizing, and working out a contract that took effect Wednesday.

"It's the first ever registered nurse union contract in the state, and that's no small thing," said Dominique Hamilton, a Saint Mary's nurse who helped negotiate the contract. The agreement was years in the making, but she says the COVID-19 pandemic makes it especially timely, since it covers staffing levels, the quality of masks and gowns, and rest breaks for on-call nurses.

"So this now a guarantee that they'll have enough rest between shifts, eight hours, so that they can give the best quality care for that next patient," she said.

Reaching the agreement wasn't easy. Nurses at the two hospitals joined thousands of others at facilities owned by Tenet Healthcare in a one-day walkout last fall to call attention to their demands. The new contract runs for three years.


Mandatory COVID-19 tests await UA students in dorms

AZPM

University officials are still waiting to make a final decision about in-person classes, but UA President Robert Robbins said most likely classes will fall into four “modalities.”

“There’s the in-person modality, which we will have some in-person classes. Second will be an engaged Zoom, digital, remote learning, three would be sort of an asynchronous version, and then four would be simply you just watch some videos,” said Robbins.

UA Provost Lisa Folks sent a letter to the campus community on Thursday which said the final decision about how open campus will be will come within the next few weeks.

Robbins said no matter how that decision turns out, he does not think higher education will ever look like it did at the beginning of spring classes in January.

For example, if the campus opens for in-person classes, move-in day will look different this year. If the campus is open for in-person classes, students will be given appointments to take a required COVID-19 test before going to their dorm, with results delivered to their phones.

Once on campus, students will get daily health check-ins. If anyone on campus tests positive for COVID-19 the reaction will be swift. Richard Carmona, M.D., head of the UA reopening task force, described “public health SWAT teams” and thorough communication.

The university is setting up housing for students who test positive so they can be quarantined and monitored.


Poll workers needed in Pima County

AZPM

Pima County needs about 150 poll workers to ensure it has enough people to smoothly run the August 4th primary.

It takes about 1,800 poll workers to staff the 230 or so polling locations Pima County is scheduled to open on Election Day. The majority of voters cast their ballots by mail but the county still staffs polling locations so people can cast their votes in person if they want.

Poll workers go through a training class before they are sent out in the field according to Pima County Elections Director Brad Nelson.

“Classes where individual poll workers will be trained will begin on July 28th, so it is important for the person to apply before that time, however, if they apply after that time there are additional training sessions,” Nelson said.

The shortage of poll workers for the August primary is attributed to the pandemic. Nelson said many poll workers are older and do not want to risk exposure.

Learn more here.


Audit: CBP Undercounted In-Custody Deaths

Fronteras Desk

PHOENIX — A new investigation finds that the country’s border enforcement agency has undercounted how many people died in its custody.

Since 2014, Customs and Border Protection hasn’t accurately reported how many people died in its custody to Congress. The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, published its findings and announced them to the House Homeland Security Committee.

The GAO’s Rebecca Gambler notes 31 people died in CBP custody along the Southwest border between 2014 and 2019.

"However CBP only documented 20 deaths in its congressional reports," she told the committee.

She told Congress CBP agreed with her findings and that while directives came down from Washington, officials in the field didn’t follow them.


Arizona COVID-19 patients being sent to New Mexico

AP

SANTA FE, N.M. — People who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arizona are being transferred to New Mexico hospitals because of staffing shortages and a lack of bed space, under a federal law that requires hospitals to accept patients from neighboring states if beds are available.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the transfer of out-of-state patients poses challenges as some hospitals in the state are at or nearing capacity levels.

It is unclear exactly how many Arizona patients have been transferred to New Mexico. State health officials on Thursday reported an additional 300 cases, bringing the statewide total to nearly 16,140. The death toll stands at 562.

Learn more here.


McSally reports raising nearly $9 million for Senate race

AP

PHOENIX — Republican Sen. Martha McSally has posted her strongest quarterly fundraising yet, but her haul was still dwarfed by that of her Democratic rival. McSally reported $8.9 million during the three-month period that ended June 30 and ended the quarter with just under $11 million in the bank.

McSally was appointed to John McCain’s former Senate seat in 2018 and is in a tough fight to hold onto it. She faces Democrat Mark Kelly, who reported raising more than $12 million during the quarter with $24 million in the bank.

Learn more here.


Arizona teachers want school closures as virus cases rise

AP

PHOENIX — Several Arizona teachers voiced fears from their cars about returning to school in a state that continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus. Nearly 20 cars with painted messages like #Return2SchoolSafely traveled in a short procession Wednesday in central Phoenix.

It was one of six “motor marches” organized by members of the Arizona #RedforEd group calling on Gov. Doug Ducey to close schools until case numbers trend downward. Currently, public schools are ordered to delay the start of the classes at least until Aug. 17. State health officials reported an additional 3,257 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths.

Learn more here.


Asylum rules test Trump's legal skills to make new policy

AP

SAN DIEGO — Critics of the Trump administration’s most sweeping set of rules to restrict asylum in the United States have sent in a deluge of comments opposing the effort. They hope an old law that serves as a check on presidential power will weaken or even doom it.

The government's proposal would make it much more difficult to get asylum and drew nearly 80,000 public comments before a Wednesday deadline. The administration must address every concern in its final version. The proposal directs immigration judges to be more selective about granting asylum claims and allows them to deny some without a court hearing.

Learn more here.

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