Although day-to-day life in the U.S. has largely moved on from COVID-19, the Biden administration is continuing to pursue coordinated efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and urge Congress to increase funding for antiviral treatments and preparation for future surges.
In Arizona, there were 2,350 new cases of COVID-19 and 99 new...
Fallout from COVID-19 policies continue as hospitals nationwide struggle to maintain a workforce. Nurse and healthcare worker unions and advocacy organizations blame hospital policies and reduced pay for the worker shortages. OSHA moved to revoke Arizona's state plan after ongoing violations of federal policy to enforce worker...
The BA.2 variant, also known as the "stealth Omicron," is now the dominant coronavirus version in the U.S. and more than 60 other countries. This week, Philadelphia became the first major city in the U.S. to announce that it would return to mandating masks in public spaces due to the spread of BA.2. Meanwhile, Arizona, the Centers for...
COVID-19 has fallen out of the national spotlight, as cases and death counts fall week-over-week. But there are still challenges present. The threat of the BA.2 variant that caused a post-Omicron resurgence in Europe demonstrated COVID-19 still requires vigilance, effort and funding to overcome.
In Arizona this week, there were 6,840...
Arizona is finally entering a reprieve from COVID-19. Hospital bed use due to COVID-19 is currently at its lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic and Governor Doug Ducey took the opportunity to end the COVID-19-related state of emergency. Unfortunately, COVID-related deaths still continue and as of March 30, the Arizona...
As Arizona approaches the two-year mark from Governor Doug Ducey's March 30, 2020 executive order mandating the closure of certain businesses and a stay-at-home advisory for all Arizonans, the Arizona Republic reflects on what has happened in those two years of the public health emergency. Following three major surges of COVID-19 in just...
As COVID-19 cases drastically subside following the surge related to the Omicron variant, Americans are beginning to relax restrictions and anxieties related to the pandemic. However, other countries around the world are now struggling to contain Omicron surges that arrived much later and experts are warning that complacency could invite...
In Tuesday's State of the Union Address, President Biden announced that "it's time for Americans to get back to work," and outlined new efforts to return the public to normal activities after two years of the pandemic related to COVID-19. The White House subsequently announced a "National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan," on Wednesday...
Enjoy this recap of our February 11 winter conference at The Phoenix Art Museum Singer Hall courtesy of Sally Engelman, Director, Strategic Partnerships for Lumeris. Don't miss the bonus slideshow of the event.
The Hertel Report State of the State
Highlights of the Sophisticated Arizona Market
At 7 a.m. on a clear sunny morning, I...
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...
The positivity rate and number of new COVID-19 cases in Arizona is finally trending downward following the surge related to the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. Intensive care unit admissions and deaths have not yet crested and are expected to lag by about two weeks.
Dr. Richard Carmona, former U.S. Surgeon General and advisor to...
New COVID-19 cases are plummeting nationally, with a 63% downward trend over the last two weeks. That's great news for the nation as a whole and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is hemorrhaging funding to pay for the nation's uninsured COVID-19 patients.
The Provider Relief Fund has already paid out more than...
It appears that the surge in cases of COVID-19 due to the Omicron variant has peaked, and nationwide hospitalizations are also declining. There are currently about 130,000 patients hospitalized with the virus at this time, but hospitalizations remain at the highest levels of the pandemic thus far.
Vaccine Development
Pfizer and...
Arizona officially has the distinction of ranking second nationally for COVID deaths per capita, currently trailing Mississippi. The state has now surpassed 26,000 COVID-19 deaths and is averaging nearly 14,000 new cases per day. On Wednesday, there were 24 new COVID-19 related deaths and 8,329 new cases reported.
This information...
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 remain at an all-time high while cases in major cities across the country begin to fall. This begs the question: how long should Arizona expect to continue the surge related to the Omicron variant, and will strained hospitals be able to continue?
On Wednesday, January 26, the Arizona Department of Health...
The case count in Arizona shows no sign of abating as Arizona recorded almost 25,000 new cases of COVID-19 on January 15, setting a record. Hospitals and healthcare advocacy groups warn that the overburdened healthcare system is strapped for staff and resources as hospitalizations continue. On Wednesday, January 19, the state reported...
The seven-day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since late fall and experts warn that the unprecedented level of daily COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant will bring a sharp increase in deaths soon.
Despite the lower chance of becoming sick due to the "mild" symptoms associated with...
As the Omicron variant surges in Arizona, hospitals are struggling to maintain staffing levels and resources to treat the influx of patients. As of Wednesday, Jan. 12, the state reached a new record daily high of 18,783 new COVID-19 cases after rising for 11 consecutive days.
According to KTAR, Arizona is likely to see more record...