AHA Calls for Extending the Public Health Emergency Declaration

Last week Arizona hit a new high when for the first time, more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in one day. 

On June 19 the American Hospital Association (AHA) called on The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to extend the public health emergency declaration set to expire on July 25 until testing capacity increases and fewer people test positive for COVID-19.

The National Law Review released a report containing government policies and guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening of the economy in the US. 

Arizona’s policies include:

• Stay at Home order expired on May 15
• Executive Order 2020-18 Stay Home Stay Healthy 
  • Order extended to May 15 
• Executive Order 2020-32, elective surgeries are permitted to resume on May 1 
• Executive Order 2020-34 Resuming Additional Business Operations for Barbers, Cosmetologists, and Dine-In Restaurants 
  • Executive Order 2020-35 Reporting by Long-Term Care Facilities to Residents and Families Regarding COVID-19 
  • Reopening Guidance for Restaurants Providing Dine-In Services, permitted to begin May 11 
  • Reopening Guidance for Barbers and Cosmetologists, permitted to begin May 8
• Reopening Guidance for Retail, permitted to begin May 4 
  • Executive Order 2020-36 Implementing New Re-opening Protocols to Begin on May 16, after current order expires 
  • Gubernatorial Announcement Allowing Certain Businesses to Open on May 13 
    • Guidance for re-opening public pools 
    • Guidance for re-opening gyms and fitness centers 
    • Guidance for re-opening spas 
  • Executive Order implementing contact tracing and other public health measures 

Gov. Doug Ducey allowed hospitals to resume elective surgeries in May as long as they don’t exceed 80% capacity. Lately, some hospitals have approached, and a few have exceeded that limit.

Dr. Michael White, chief medical officer with Valleywise Health in Phoenix, says the scarce resource in a pandemic may actually be the people who care for the patients, rather than beds or ventilators.

White said, 

Taking care of a critically ill COVID-19 patient is a special skill set and it requires a special team to be able to do that, and again, that’s a finite resource that we have within our communities. 

In Colorado news, Governor Jared Polis has extended Colorado’s state of emergency for 30 days from June 19 — one of many actions he’s taken in recent days to address the ongoing pandemic.  According to Westword, Polis has warned that Colorado’s success to date at flattening the COVID-19 curve could prove ephemeral, particularly given rising case counts in states such as neighboring Arizona. 

Read the full release from the American Hospital Association

Read the full COVID-19 US State Policy Report on The National Law Review

Read the full article from Arizona Public Media

Read the full article on Westword