Cases are falling in Arizona, but the rate of transmission remains high in the state as a result of the omicron variant. More than 27,000 have died from COVID-19 in Arizona since the start of the global pandemic. The state’s weekly average for newly reported cases, COVID hospitalizations and percent positivity for diagnostic testing were all at their lowest levels of 2022 on Wednesday.
Pima County Public Health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen told Tuscon.com that the high rate of social vulnerability within the community is one of the reasons state residents should remain cautious and continue to mask. She told the publications the objective has been to get the number of COVID hospitalizations in Pima County below 400. If cases exceed 400, “we’re in real trouble.” As of Friday, the county was at 355, Cullen’s ideal number: below 100.
In Cochise County, where 529 people have died from COVID-19, the board of supervisors voted last month to reject $1.9 million in pandemic federal funding. Peggy Judd, voted against accepting the money,
We’re done. We’re treating it like the common cold
Judd, who is unvaccinated, claims to have recovered from Covid-19 in November after drinking orange juice spiked with ivermectin, a drug commonly used to treat animal parasites. She claimed she rejected the federal money because she was dubious about doing contact tracing, public health surveys and hiring a security guard at the health department.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors’ decision didn’t go over well with some healthcare workers who have been struggling to manage COVID cases in challenging rural settings in Southern Arizona.
Dr. Cristian Laguillo of Copper Queen Community Hospital in Bisbee told The New York Times,
It’s insanity. It was a decision made without thought, without care. That’s maddening.
According to reporting from The New York Times, Alicia Thompson, Cochise County’s director of health and social services, applied for the disputed money more than a year ago with the hope of, among other things, more testing in rural areas, assessing how Covid-19 had affected the community and hiring a finance director.
Highlights from KTAR COVID Tracking
Statewide hospital capacity
- Inpatients beds available – Tuesday: 514 (6% of capacity); One day earlier: 591 (7%); One week earlier: 617 (7%)
- Percentage of inpatient beds with COVID patients – Tuesday: 23%; One day earlier: 25%; One week earlier: 29%
- ICU beds available – Tuesday: 141 (9% of capacity); One day earlier: 160 (10%); One week earlier: 147 (9%)
- Percentage of ICU beds with COVID patients – Tuesday: 27%; One day earlier: 28%; One week earlier: 32%
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.