Arizona COVID-19 cumulative counts, Dec. 14
layer and click on county for more.
Select regional and national coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic as of Tuesday, April 7. For more coverage, visit our resource page. This story may be updated.
UA scientists designing innovative ventilator prototypes
AZPM, April 7
Win Burleson has lately been spending most of his weekend waking hours on ventilator designs. He’s associate director of the University of Arizona School of Information. He’s also an inventor.
“I called up a colleague, he had an air compressor in his garage, so he broke open a couple Ziplock bags and some duct tape and was able to seal up and inflate and deflate a Ziplock bag with the air compressor and a book on top,” said Burleson, describing one iteration.
Because of the shortage of health care supplies due to COVID-19, it can be difficult to get specialized parts quickly, so Burleson is trying to figure out a way to build a ventilator using only readily available items. He’s not the only one.
Arizona's first-time unemployment claims neared 130,000 last week
AZPM, April 7
The number of first-time unemployment claims in Arizona totaled 129,215 for the week ending April 4, 2020. The number represents a 46% increase in one week. When compared to a month before, the first week of April was a 3,749% increase.
The data from the Arizona Department of Economic Security also showed that total payments for the week of April 4 topped $5.5 million, a nearly $2.3 million increase.
Coronavirus putting pressure on food and shelter nonprofits
Cronkite News, April 7
PHOENIX – Nearly half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and four in 10 adults cannot afford to cover an unexpected $400 expense without borrowing or selling something – and the coronavirus pandemic has added to the burden for people living on the edge.
In Arizona, the COVID-19 crisis has triggered a surge of people applying for unemployment benefits as more companies lay off employees, leaving many Arizonans with no choice but to turn to food banks and homeless shelters.
“We’re in crisis mode right now,” said Greg Boone, chief development officer of Save the Family Foundation of Arizona, a Mesa nonprofit that provides housing and other services to low-income and homeless families.
Advocates for inmates seek inspection of Arizona’s prisons
AP, April 7
PHOENIX (AP) — Advocates for inmates have asked Arizona’s top public health official to order inspections of state prisons to help guard against the coronavirus there.
They say corrections officials aren’t consistently following COVID-19 prevention guidelines and have done an inadequate job of keeping the public informed on those efforts. The advocates said in a letter to Dr. Cara Christ that corrections officials have called for weekly deep cleaning of housing areas, when guidelines call for daily cleanings of shared surfaces.
Christ’s office didn’t have an immediate comment on the letter. Corrections officials and Gov. Doug Ducey’s office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Southwest air quality benefits from stay-at-home orders
AP, April 7
Fewer motorists in Arizona and Nevada following the states’ stay-at-home orders appears to be improving the air quality and decreasing the effects vehicle emissions have on the environment.
Both states released their reports Monday after at least a week under the states’ respective stay-at-home orders. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials say particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are pollutants that contribute to smog and poor air quality and are emitted from the transportation sector, including cars, trucks, commercial aircraft and railroads. Environmental officials say more study is required.
Tribal land known for waterfalls extends tourism closure
AP, April 7
SUPAI, Ariz. (AP) — A small northern Arizona reservation that draws thousands of tourists annually to its blue-green waterfalls is extending a closure order.
The Havasupai Tribe passed a resolution this week to keep visitors off its land through mid-May to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Anyone with a permit to stay at the tribe's lodge or in the campgrounds through May 14 can reschedule the trips for sometime next year.
About 40,000 people visit the tribe's land annually. It is accessible only by foot, mule or helicopter and is home to about 450 people. Arizona health officials reported over 2,500 coronavirus cases statewide with 73 deaths as of Tuesday. The number of deaths rose from 65 as of Monday.
AP sources: MLB, union discuss playing all games in Arizona
AP, April 7
NEW YORK (AP) — People familiar with the discussion tell The Associated Press that putting all 30 teams in the Phoenix area this season and playing in empty ballparks was among the ideas discussed by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.
The sides held a phone call to talk about paths forward for a season delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Ideas are still in the early stage. Arizona’s advantage is 10 spring training ballparks plus the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field all within about 50 miles. Scott Boras, baseball’s most prominent agent, said it might be the quickest method to start play.
McConnell sets Senate showdown on virus aid payroll rescue
AP, April 7
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he will attempt to swiftly pass additional funding for small businesses to keep making payroll during the coronavirus crisis.
The Republican leader said he would move this week to supplement the $350 billion approved for companies in the just-passed $2.2 trillion rescue package. The so-called Paycheck Protection Program “may run dry” without it, he said.
Jamming the aid through without a full vote when Congress is all but shuttered during the crisis threatens the fragile political consensus as lawmakers trying to build another broad aid package. The action is set for Thursday.
Tasked with schoolwork help, many US parents lack English
AP, April 7
As parents nationwide struggle with guiding their children's schooling from home, those who are themselves still learning the English language face particular challenges.
Before Mariana Luna can go over schoolwork with her daughters each day, her 9-year-old first has to help her understand what the assignments say. A Spanish speaker originally from Mexico, Luna also uses Google Translate on her phone.
There were more than 4.8 million English language learner students in public schools in 2016. U.S. Department of Education statistics indicate English language learners make up nearly 10% of total enrollment.
China's virus pandemic epicenter Wuhan ends 76-day lockdown
AP, April 7
WUHAN, China (AP) — The lockdown that served as a model for countries battling the coronavirus around the world ended after 11 weeks Wednesday.
Chinese authorities are now allowing residents of Wuhan to once again travel in and out of the sprawling city where the pandemic began. From just after midnight, the city’s 11 million residents are permitted to leave without special authorization as long as a mandatory smartphone application shows they are healthy and have not been in recent contact with anyone confirmed to have the virus.
Wuhan is where most of China’s more than 82,000 reported virus cases and over 3,300 deaths took place.
Trump removes watchdog tapped for $2T virus rescue oversight
AP, April 7
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has removed the inspector general who was to chair a special oversight board of the $2.2 trillion rescue package for businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus, according to officials and a Defense Department email reviewed by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Glenn Fine is the acting Defense Department inspector general. He was selected last month for the oversight position. But Trump has instead nominated a replacement inspector general at the Pentagon. He's also appointed an acting one to serve in Fine’s place. That means that Fine will no longer serve on the oversight board.
Virus crisis cuts off billions sent to poor around the world
AP, April 7
MIAMI (AP) — The devastation wrought by COVID-19 across the developed world in cutting into the financial lifelines for people in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
The World Bank estimates that a record $529 billion was transferred to developing countries through official channels in 2018. Billions more moved unrecorded in cash. Many of those remittances are sent home by people who work in jobs worst affected by the global downtown.
With coronavirus shutting down industries, many earners can no longer afford to send their monthly $50, $100 or $200 to Honduras, Somalia or India. The shock waves are pushing their relatives to desperation.
Acting Navy boss submits resignation amid coronavirus uproar
AP, April 7
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly has submitted a letter of resignation to Defense Secretary Mark Esper. That’s according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the matter before an official announcement.
The officials say Modly has also told staff he is quitting. Modly had publicly apologized Monday for a profanity-laced upbraiding of the officer he fired as captain of the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt. Modly’s designated replacement will be James McPherson, a Navy veteran who is currently serving undersecretary of the Army.
Pima County road work continues
AZPM, April 6
The coronavirus pandemic has made most of our lives more difficult, but one group of workers has it a little easier right now.
With many people working from home, and many others unable to work at all, there are fewer cars and trucks on Tucson's streets. That's a big relief to the crews that repair traffic lights and repave roadways all over Pima County. Ana Oliveras, head of the Pima County Transportation Department, says in particular the virtual shutdown of travel comes just as one very tricky section of road is getting a facelift.
"Gates Pass is being repaired this week, and we are actually able to close the road while we do the work," Oliveras said.
She said the narrow road that tops the crest of the Tucson Mountains would probably be closed anyway, but with most drivers staying off the road, less traffic has to take the long detour around the work site.
Customs and Border Protection: 160 employees infected with COVID-19
Fronteras Desk, April 6
Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of the Border Patrol, employs 60,000 people. On Monday, the agency gave some insight into how many of those employees have been infected by the coronavirus and are now suffering from COVID-19.
CBP’s information is scarce; it’s reporting that 160 employees are confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. That suggests they’re not all agents or officers. The 160 include six employees in Arizona: three in Tucson and three more in Nogales. The agency’s website says it has made personal protective equipment available to employees.
By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.