/ Modified dec 16, 2020 4:17 p.m.

News roundup: State leaders on vaccine, COVID outbreak at Pima County Health Department

Recent coverage impacting Southern Arizona, Dec. 16.

Arizona COVID-19 cases: 7 days

Map shows COVID-19 cases and case rates over the week preceding the last update.

Credit: Nick O'Gara/AZPM. Sources: The New York Times, based on reports from state and local health agencies, Census Bureau. Case reports do not correspond to day of test.

Cases 429,219 | Deaths 7,530

On Wednesday, Dec. 16, Arizona reported 4,848 new cases of COVID-19 and 108 additional deaths. Hospital beds around the state are nearing capacity, with only 9% of intensive care unit beds available, as of Dec. 15.


Governor, health director discuss vaccine rollout amid ongoing COVID-19 surge

AZPM

Arizona's governor and health director meted out a few more details on the state's vaccination plan on Wednesday, including the expansion of vaccine distribution sites, while the state sees unabated increase in COVID-19 cases.

Speaking from a vaccine distribution site in Maricopa County, Gov. Doug Ducey said hospitals like Banner Health would be adding vaccination administration to certain sites for health care workers, adding that Pima County and North Phoenix would open sites by Thursday and that every county in the state would have a site by the end of the week. He also said residents of nursing homes would start to receive vaccinations by the end of the month. Facilities administering the vaccine will be posted on the state health department website at "the appropriate time," Ducey said.

The governor announced a list of people who would be receiving the vaccine that day, including Arizona Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ.

Learn more here.


Pima County health director tests positive for COVID-19 as part of outbreak at department

AZPM

Pima County Health Director Theresa Cullen tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 15 as part of what officials say is a larger outbreak at the department's headquarters on East Ajo Way, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The statement said the outbreak involved 11 employees, and those with close contact have been advised to get tested and asked to isolate at home. Other staff are being moved to alternative work locations or working remotely while the building is sanitized. The outbreak comes despite the requirement that department employees who work on site wear masks and stay home when sick, the statement said.

The statement did not identify a source of the outbreak.

Learn more here.


Tucson airport to increase hours of COVID-19 testing

AZPM

The Tucson International Airport will be offering daily free COVID-19 testing starting Friday.

In order to get one of the PCR nasal swab tests, TIA Chief Operating Officer Bruce Goetz said people need to pre-register. Those with smartphones can quickly scan a QR code posted on signs throughout the terminal advertising the free COVID-19 testing site by bag belt 5.

He said after patients take the test, they can expect their results online in 24-48 hours.

Learn more here.


AZ Senate issues subpoenas to Maricopa County

AZPM

The chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Eddie Farnsworth, issued subpoenas to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Tuesday afternoon to investigate the 2020 General Election.

The subpoenas came with the blessing of Senate President Karen Fann.

“I appreciate Board Chairman Clint Hickman's commitment to the integrity of the Arizona election process, and I know he shares all of our concerns,” Fann said in a statement issued by her office.

One subpoena calls for a scanned ballot audit of all mail-in ballots in Maricopa County. The other requires a forensic audit of all ballot counting equipment and the related software.

Learn more here.


State election fraud email gets hundreds of responses

AZPM

The Arizona Senate received hundreds of emails after requesting tips regarding election fraud during the 2020 general election.

The emails were sent to an address set up for eight days in November by Senate President Karen Fann. The email address was an official legislative address.

Nearly 75% fell into a category chastising, sometimes with the harshest language, Republicans for not accepting the outcome of the elections. Others in that group were mock complaints saying birds in cacti told people how to vote, and space aliens were observed casting ballots on Election Day.

Learn more here.


State unveils draft legislation to create surface water protections

AZPM

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public feedback on its draft legislation to establish a set of regulations to protect surface water statewide.

The changes implemented by the Trump administration earlier this year dramatically curtailed the list of waters that fall under the Clean Water Act, excluding a vast number of streams, washes and creeks from federal pollution protection. Importantly for arid Arizona, ephemeral waters – those that only flow after rain or snow – are no longer protected.

Gov. Doug Ducey previously asked the EPA for the opportunity for Arizona to create its own set of rules, which the state lacks. ADEQ has been engaged in that process this year.

If approved by the legislature, ADEQ's new surface water protection program will apply current regulations for federal waters to a list of designated state waterways.

Learn more here.


Dedication set for memorial to victims of Tucson shooting

AP

A Jan. 8 dedication ceremony is planned for a memorial to victims of the 2011 shooting in Tucson that left left six people dead and then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others injured.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony on the shooting’s 10-year anniversary will not be open to the public but Pima County officials said several local television stations are expected to broadcast the ceremony and it will be livestreamed on the county’s Facebook page.

The memorial in downtown Tucson was created for the victims, survivors and emergency personnel who responded to the shooting. It occurred as Giffords held a meet-and-greet event.

Learn more here.


Arizona ties, sets records for virus deaths, hospital usage

AP

PHOENIX — Arizona on Wednesday tied a previous record of coronavirus deaths in one day during the current virus surge while its hospital bed capacity dropped to a record-low since the start of the pandemic.

The state Department of Health Services reported 4,848 additional known cases of the virus and 108 deaths. The state’s totals are 429,219 cases and 7,530 deaths.

A record 92% of Arizona’s inpatient beds were filled Tuesday, either by coronavirus patients or people hospitalized for other reasons, leaving only 8% of the beds available. Arizona’s rate of bed usage has hovered in the 10% range since early December.


Navajo Area Indian Health Services Distributes First Allocation Of Pfizer Vaccines

Fronteras Desk

The Indian Health Service has distributed its first allocation of Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 to health care centers in the Navajo Nation area.

On Tuesday, the Navajo area IHS delivered 3,900 Pfizer vaccines. The COVID-19 shots were distributed to Navajo Nation health care clinics.

Native Medicine Coordinator Roland Begay was the first health care worker at the facility to receive the vaccine, which requires a second shot to be fully immunized against the virus.

Navajo area IHS officials expect all health care workers to be vaccinated with their first dose by Sunday.


As Coronavirus Vaccinations Begin, Experts Urge Native Americans To Participate

Fronteras Desk

As the first shipments of coronavirus vaccines go out across the country, health officials are urging Native American communities to participate.

But tribal communities have historic reasons to feel wary, said David Wilson, a member of the Navajo Nation and director of the National Institute of Health Tribal Health Research Office.

“There’s a great deal of mistrust when it comes to the federal government, clinical trials, and vaccines. This is a mistrust that we acknowledge and respect, " Wilson said in a livestream video event Tuesday.

Wilson appeared in the video call alongside the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, to emphasize to tribal communities that coronavirus vaccines are safe.

Learn more here.


Navajo Nation reports 160 new COVID-19 cases, 5 more deaths

AP

WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation health officials on Tuesday reported 160 new COVID-19 cases and five more related deaths.

In all, the tribe now has reported 19,929 coronavirus cases resulting in 727 deaths since the pandemic began. Health officials say more than 185,000 people on the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have been tested and nearly 11,000 have recovered from COVID-19.

Navajo Department of Health officials say 77 communities on the reservation still have uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus. Tribal officials have said nearly all intensive care unit beds on the reservation are being used as COVID-19 cases surge.

Learn more here.


As Pandemic Worsens, Sonora Again Sheds Jobs

Fronteras Desk

After a few months of growth, job losses have returned to neighboring Sonora.

From February to August, the state shed roughly 40,000 formal jobs. Then came two months of growth, including a robust jump of nearly 12,000 in September.

But that streak is now over, with a fall of over 800 in November, according to the most recent federal data. Positions in Sonora’s significant informal sector are not included in the data.

The growth largely came during months when pandemic measures were eased. But November also saw a sharp rise in confirmed cases. In response, restrictions on businesses have recently returned. Businesses that remain open have shortened hours and occupancy.

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