Cases 346,421 | Deaths 6,821
On Thursday, Dec. 3, Arizona reported 5,442 new cases of COVID-19 and 82 additional deaths. Statewide hospital bed usage, which began to rise in late September, was at 53% on Dec. 2, according to state health department data.
Ducey tweaks rules on events, outdoor dining — no other COVID-19 restrictions
AZPM
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Wednesday echoed his ongoing emphasis on personal responsibility in the face of surging COVID-19 numbers in the state and around the country, but beyond announcing modifications to rules for public events and outdoor dining, the governor implemented no new mitigation efforts to curb the rise in cases.
Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ said the state may receive "hundreds of thousands" of doses of a vaccine by late December. Ducey promised a plan for vaccine rollout in the next week, saying the state would prioritize groups like health care workers and people in congregate settings. He said another priority would be teachers. He added that the vaccine would be free for Arizonans.
National health experts have warned that swift approval of a vaccine may not mean widespread availability for several months.
Banner Health predicts full hospitals in one week
AZPM
Officials with the state's largest health care system expect their Tucson area hospitals to reach 100% of licensed capacity around December 9, as COVID-19 infects more people across Arizona. Banner Health's chief clinical officer, Dr. Marjorie Bessel, said Wednesday half the patients in Banner's Tucson intensive care units are being treated for COVID, up from 25%. She said Banner's Tucson hospitals may top out at 125% by mid-month.
Bessel also endorsed the night time curfew approved by Tucson leaders Tuesday night. "There was a series of issues and different tactics that we can take to mitigate. Curfew is one of them and we should consider doing that in places outside just Tucson," Bessel said during an online news conference.
Arizona reports 5,442 additional COVID-19 cases, 82 deaths
AP
PHOENIX — Arizona is reporting a new high of more than 5,400 known coronavirus cases as well as 82 more deaths, the most fatalities found in a single day since August. The state Department of Health Services announced Thursday 5,442 additional confirmed cases as the virus continues to surge. The 82 deaths include 46 resulting from reviews of past death certificates.
It wasn’t immediately known whether those deaths occurred during the current surge or earlier. However, the pace of COVID-19-related deaths in Arizona has increased by 57% in the past two weeks. Arizona has reported totals of over 356,000 known cases and more than 6,800 deaths.
State of the City: 'Resilient,' according to Mayor Romero
AZPM
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero summed up where things stand by saying, “the state of the city is resilient”
Unlike traditional State of the City speeches, Romero did not give hers at a luncheon in a hotel ballroom. Instead, as a reflection of the times she gave it online.
“Although it is difficult to see, the collective sacrifices of all of us have saved lives. I understand how exhausted you are with this pandemic, I am too. But we need to stay the course,” she said.
Romero stressed the positive and the future with regards to COVID-19. She said economists have ranked Tucson as one of the top 10 cities for recovery. Romero also laid out a vision for the post-pandemic economic recovery.
Mark Kelly sworn in as senator, casts first vote
AZPM
Mark Kelly took the oath of office on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday afternoon.
Kelly was joined by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who held the Bible while Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office.
He was joined off the floor by his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, his daughters, and his brother Scott.
He also cast his first vote minutes after being sworn in. It was a thumbs down for the confirmation of a judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
UA creates online skin cancer prevention training for massage therapists
AZPM
Researchers at the University of Arizona have created a training program for massage therapists to identify possible signs of skin cancer and talk about it with their clients.
Lois Loescher, a professor in the UA College of Nursing, said she and Myra Muramoto, a doctor and professor of family and community medicine, enlisted 80 licensed massage therapists throughout Arizona to go through the two-week online training. According to a press release, 1 in 5 people are diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70, making it the most common form of cancer in the United States.
Loescher said they taught the participants to gently draw attention to changes or irregularities of moles or lesions through conversations with mock clients. She said for massage therapists it's important to notice the evolution of a mark on the body.
Asylum Seekers In Nogales Ask President-Elect Biden To Make Their Cause A Priority
Fronteras Desk
Migrants and asylum seekers held a protest at the border wall in Nogales, Sonora Wednesday urging the incoming Biden administration to immediately resume asylum proceedings upon taking office.
Some of them have been waiting a year or more for U.S. asylum, often in difficult and dangerous situations, and several asylum seekers shared their experiences of fleeing persecution in Venezuela, Cuba and southern Mexico. This protest is one of several organized by the Save Asylum coalition in recent months to protest the dismantling of the U.S. asylum system.
Now, asylum seekers are directly urging the incoming U.S. presidential administration to make restoring the right to asylum a priority, through a letter written and signed by thousands of asylum seekers in Nogales and other border towns.
Navajo Nation Declares Major Disaster Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Fronteras Desk
Navajo President Jonathan Nez continues to urge Navajo Nation residents to stay home as much as possible as COVID-19 continues to spread out of control on the reservation. Nez is requesting the White House approve a major disaster declaration for the tribe. He is extending the current lockdown order and weekend curfews on the reservation.
The Nation of about 173,000 residents has confirmed more than 17,000 positive COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. The Navajo Nation was hard-hit by infections in the spring, but recent cases have been reported in higher numbers than ever before.
Doctors that serve the tribe say the conditions in hospitals are now worse than in the spring. Dr. Loretta Christensen with the Navajo Area Indian Health Service said in a Thursday town hall video that hospital staff is exhausted, beds are filling up, and it’s becoming harder to find hospitals elsewhere in Arizona or New Mexico that will accept patient transfers. She also said the hospital is competing with other hospitals for supplies.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez Urges Residents To Get Vaccine Once It's Available
Fronteras Desk
As of Tuesday, the Navajo Nation had reported more than 16,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 650 deaths. But now with vaccine availability on the horizon, Tribal President Jonathan Nez is pushing residents to get the optional vaccine.
“If you don’t take it, then these outbreaks are still going to happen. I’m not scaring you, it’s just if you don’t take a vaccine then things are not going to change, you’re still going to have to wear a mask, you’re still going to have to social distance, and things like that,” Nez said.
In a virtual town hall on Tuesday, Nez also thanked the more than 100 Navajo Nation residents who participated in the clinical trials.
There is expected to be some reticence among tribal members as there’s a long storied history of disease exposure and vaccine access that has led to mass deaths in indigenous communities.
Navajo Nation reports 310 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths
AP
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation health officials on Wednesday night reported 310 new COVID-19 cases and two additional deaths. Tribal officials say the Navajo Nation now has had 17,035 total cases since the pandemic began with 658 known deaths.
The vast reservation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Tribal health officials say 166,517 people have been tested and 9,517 have recovered.
Residents remain under a stay-at-home order, with an exception for essential workers and essential needs like food, medication and emergencies. Essential businesses also have been ordered to limit their hours to between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. A mask requirement has been in place for much of the year.
Biden is facing high hopes, tough choices on border wall
AP
LOS EBANOS, Texas — President-elect Joe Biden will face immediate pressure to fulfill his pledge to stop border wall construction. But he will confront a series of tough choices left behind by President Donald Trump, who's ramped up construction in his final weeks. More than two dozen projects are underway, and contracts are signed with at least five construction companies, totaling $7 billion. Most construction is in Arizona and New Mexico, while the Trump administration fights for property in Texas. Biden also faces skepticism about his own record on border walls, having voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and being vice president when the government built barriers and pursued lawsuits against border landowners.
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