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Wednesday, June 7, 2023 | 
U.S. & World

Why experts are worried over Arizona’s increased COVID-19 outbreak

Experts said they’re worried about Arizona’s increase

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE Why experts are worried over Arizona’s increased COVID-19 outbreak
In this May 13, 2020, file photo, a thank-you sign is shown outside a nursing home, in Chandler, Ariz. A judge has ruled Arizona doesn’t have to publicly reveal the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents of nursing homes and other long-term facilities in the state, marking a loss for news organizations that had sued to get the information.

In this May 13, 2020, file photo, a thank-you sign is shown outside a nursing home, in Chandler, Ariz. A judge has ruled Arizona doesn’t have to publicly reveal the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents of nursing homes and other long-term facilities in the state, marking a loss for news organizations that had sued to get the information.

Matt York, Associated Press

Arizona’s recent COVID-19 outbreak has caused worry and concern from experts, prompting a call from health officials to take action.

What’s happening:

  • Arizona has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases for the past two weeks, according to the Arizona Republic.
  • The increase suggests “the state is trending upward in a way that is concerning and could need another stay-at-home order to curb the spread,” according to the Arizona Republic.
  • Dr. William Hanage, an epidemiology professor at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said: “I would go so far as to say alarming. The only sort of crumb of comfort that I can find is that I think, in general, it’s sort of easier to social distance in Arizona than it is in some places.”
  • Dr. Kacey Ernst, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Arizona, said: “If we continue on this trajectory and it is not just due to one or two localized outbreaks, then we may need to gear up for increasing action. The director of ADHS has declared all hospitals should activate their emergency plans. That should tell us all something.”

What Arizona hospitals were told

  • Arizona hospitals were told to activate their emergency plans after the state’s health director called for it after the rise of COVID-19 cases, as I reported for the Deseret News.
  • Arizona Department of Health Director Cara Christ said hospital leaders should review the state’s crisis plan to “make determinations for moving your facility from conventional care to contingency care and prepare for crisis care.”