Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey arrives for a press conference to discuss the latest Arizona COVID-19 information on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX (AP) – With Arizona experiencing periodic spikes in COVID-19 cases since last spring, Governor Doug Ducey often resisted calls for firm action. He refused to institute a statewide mask mandate, let school districts largely make their own choices, and allowed businesses to remain open.
All of those Republican governor’s choices are now being re-examined as the state of Grand Canyon is being dubbed the world’s newest “hot spot” by health officials because of its massive payloads.
“We have a governor and health director who don’t care. Their goal, in my opinion, is to get vaccinated out of this, “said Will Humble, head of the Arizona Public Health Association.” Eventually, it will work. In the meantime, there will just be a lot of dead people. “
CJ Karamargin, the governor’s spokesman, said the current number of cases and deaths is “heartbreaking,” but it is a phenomenon that is happening in other states, even with strict orders to stay at home.
“Faced with strict mitigation measures and states that have implemented few or minimal mitigation measures, all experience the same thing,” said Karamargin. “The mitigating measures taken at an early stage by the state of Arizona remain in effect. We urge every Arizonan to follow them. “
At the same time, the state is working to ramp up vaccine distribution efforts, Karamargin added. More than 119,000 people in Arizona have received the vaccine, health officials said Wednesday. That’s less than 2% of the state’s population. Nationally, as of Wednesday, more than three weeks after the US vaccination campaign, 5.3 million people had received their first dose.
Liz Curren, 34, from Phoenix, has been watching over her husband, Russell, 37, since he became infected with the virus more than a week ago. His symptoms include severe physical pain, chills, and pain in his lungs and kidneys. The couple and four other family members got together for Christmas, but took every precaution, including wearing masks. Still, Russell Curren and three others later tested positive. Liz Curren has tested negative three times.
“I definitely think there is more or more needs to be done,” said Liz Curren, reflecting on the jump in cases. ‘Whatever is done, it doesn’t work. I don’t feel like clubs and bars and gyms should be open. “
Meanwhile, the death toll in Arizona as a result of the pandemic is now approaching 10,000. State health officials reported 297 new virus-related deaths on Thursday. Most of them were attributed to recent reviews of past death certificates.
The state also counted 9,913 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total total so far to 584,593.
Arizona has the worst coronavirus diagnosis rate in the country, with 1 in 119 people in the state testing positive in the past week, health officials said.
Just five months ago, President Donald Trump hailed Arizona as a model for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. After an order to stay home was phased out early in the pandemic, the Republican governor refused to impose restrictions again, like neighboring California, which is also seeing an increase in infections and overwhelmed hospitals. In Arizona, eating is allowed indoors and gyms have opened with limited capacity, businesses that have been more limited in many other states.
Ducey has rejected calls from healthcare leaders to tighten restrictions, arguing that this would put people out of work. He also turned down a proposal to allow all public schools to have virtual learning two weeks after the holidays.
The live-and-let-live approach arguably worked for several months as the cases remained high but were arguably more manageable compared to the situation in the summer. The numbers have increased enormously in recent days.
“It’s been much worse than July, and it will get worse. We are probably two weeks behind LA in our situation, ” said Humble, referring to Los Angeles County, where a COVID-19 wave has caused a lack of oxygen and prompted emergency medical personnel to stop transporting patients in which they cannot live. the field.
Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the research center at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, called the state “the hotspot of the world right now.” He believes that at least 1 in 10 people has the virus.
“That means when you’re at the supermarket, there are people around you who have it, but they may not know yet,” said LaBaer. “It is not a time when I would recommend that people spend time indoors with people who are not their immediate family.”
The state will also “no doubt” see more deaths than usual during the winter months, LaBaer said. Aside from COVID-19-related deaths, people with other illnesses who are reluctant to go to the hospital are at risk.
According to the state’s coronavirus dashboard, 4,920 COVID-19 patients have occupied hospital beds as of Wednesday.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer of Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital chain, said the uncontrollable spread of the virus could be reduced if the government enforced mask requirements, blocked indoor dining and canceled large gatherings. People should also wear masks and limit their contact to only those with whom they live.
“We are not doing well with this virus,” Bessel said of the state. “Right now, during the boom in the pandemic, we need additional measures. We need enforcement of those mitigation activities, and we need everyone to do their own part. “
Dr. Michael White, chief clinical officer of Arizona’s Valleywise Health said the Phoenix-based healthcare system does not have intensive care beds available. Some patients who were waiting for bed were treated on stretchers in the emergency department.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in all the years I’ve been in the healthcare industry,” said White.
More mitigation efforts in early December would likely have helped with the surgeon hospitals are seeing now, he added.
Virus cases have been on the rise since Arizona’s bars, nightclubs and restaurants fully reopened in September. But travel and people gathering for the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving, was “gasoline that went on the fire,” Humble said.