Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey arrives for a press conference to discuss Arizona COVID-19’s latest information on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX (AP) – While Arizona has been experiencing periodic spikes in COVID-19 cases since last spring, Governor Doug Ducey frequently resisted calls to take strong action. He refused to institute a statewide masking mandate, allowed school districts to make their own choices, and allowed businesses to remain open.
All of these Republican governor choices are now receiving renewed scrutiny, as the state of the Grand Canyon becomes what health officials call the latest “hot spot in the world” because of the growing number of cases.
“We have a governor and health director who doesn’t care. Their goal, in my opinion, is to vaccinate the way out of this, ”said Will Humble, head of the Arizona Public Health Association“ Eventually, it will work. There will be a lot of people killed in the meantime. “
CJ Karamargin, a spokesman for the governor, said the current number of cases and deaths is “painful”, but it is a phenomenon that is happening in other states, even with strict orders to stay at home.
“In the face of strict mitigation measures in place and states that have few or minimal mitigation measures in place, everyone is experiencing the same thing,” said Karamargin. “The mitigation measures that the state of Arizona implemented in the beginning – they remain in effect. We urge all Arizonans to follow them. “
At the same time, the state is working to increase vaccine distribution efforts, added Karamargin. More than 119,000 people in Arizona received the vaccine, state health officials said on Wednesday. That is, less than 2% of the state’s population. Nationally, by Wednesday, more than three weeks after the start of the vaccination campaign in the United States, 5.3 million people had received their first dose.
Liz Curren, 34, of Phoenix, has been caring for her husband, Russell, 37, since he was infected with the virus more than a week ago. Its symptoms include severe body aches, chills and pains in the lungs and kidneys. The couple and four other relatives got together for Christmas, but took every precaution to wear masks. However, Russell Curren and three others later ended up testing positive. Liz Curren tested negative three times.
“I absolutely think there is more or more should be done,” said Liz Curren, reflecting on the increase in boxes. “Whatever is being done is not working. I don’t think clubs, bars and gyms should be open. “
Meanwhile, the death toll in Arizona from the pandemic is now close to 10,000. State health officials on Thursday reported 297 new deaths related to the virus. Most of them were attributed to recent reviews of previous death certificates.
The state also accounted for 9,913 COVID-19 cases recently confirmed on Thursday, bringing the grand 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 last week, health officials said.
Just five months ago, President Donald Trump hailed Arizona as a model of how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic. After an order to stay home at the start of the pandemic was gradually lifted, the Republican governor refused to reimpose restrictions like neighboring California, which is also seeing an increase in the number of infections and crowded hospitals. In Arizona, indoor dining is allowed and gyms are open with limited capacity, businesses that have been more restricted in many other states.
Ducey rejected calls from health leaders to tighten restrictions, arguing that it would leave people out of work. He also rejected the proposal that all public schools switch to virtual education for two weeks after the holidays.
The live-and-let-live approach probably worked for a few months, as the cases remained high, but possibly more manageable compared to the situation in the summer. In the past few days, the numbers have skyrocketed.
“It is already much worse than July, and it will continue to get worse. We are probably two weeks behind LA in terms of our situation, ”said Humble, referring to Los Angeles County, where a wave of COVID-19 created an oxygen shortage and prompted ambulance teams to stop transporting patients where they cannot revive the field.
Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the research center at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, called the state “the hot spot in the world now”. He believes that at least 1 in 10 people actually have the virus.
“It means that if you’re at the supermarket, there are people around you who have it, but they may not know it 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 “undoubtedly” see more deaths than normal in the winter months, LaBaer said. In addition to COVID-19-related deaths, people with other illnesses who hesitate to go to the hospital are at risk.
A record 4,920 patients with COVID-19 occupied hospital beds on Wednesday, according to the state coronavirus panel.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel, clinical director of Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital chain, said the uncontrollable spread of the virus could be slowed if the government imposed a mask requirement, banned indoor dining and canceled large meetings. People also need to wear masks and limit contact to only the people they live with.
“We are not doing a good job with this virus,” said Bessel of the state. “Right now, during the height of the pandemic, we need additional mitigation. We need the application of these mitigation activities and we need everyone to do their part. “
Dr. Michael White, clinical director of Valleywise Health in Arizona, said the Phoenix-based health system does not have intensive care beds available. Some patients waiting for beds were being treated on stretchers in the emergency room.
“I have never seen anything like this in all the years that I have been in the healthcare field,” said White.
More mitigation efforts in early December probably would have helped with the surge in hospitals they are seeing now, he added.
Virus case numbers have been on the rise since Arizona’s bars, clubs and restaurants were able to fully reopen in September. But the trips and people getting together for the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving, were “gasoline that went to the fire,” said Humble.