Tucson Patch COVID-19 Update

TUCSON —Every week Tucson Patch shares a weekly COVID-19 update for residents in an effort to make it easy to follow the news shaping Arizona's response to the pandemic. Here are the headlines from May 24 - 30.

Tucson, where Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson Police Department Chief Chris Magnus commented on the George Floyd's on Twitter.

The Mayor wrote: “My heart is heavy after learning of the atrocious events that led to the killing of #GeorgeFloyd. I’m outraged that another unarmed black human being has lost their life to an incomprehensible & disgusting act of violence. We must demand accountability & justice.” Read the full story at tucson.com.

Last week, COVID-19 cases went underreported by about 15% statewide.

Slow reporting of new cases has revealed that there was no dip in the number of cases of coronavirus last week, as previously reported. Instead, data reveals that the number of cases has steadily increased week-to-week since March, and that we may not have experienced Arizona's peak yet. Read the full story at tucson.com.

Sundt Foundation donates $51,000 to nonprofits across Southern Arizona.

The construction company donated $13,000 to The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and $13,000 to Interfaith Community Services. They also donated $25,000 to nine additional organizations, including Marshall Home for Men, Wheels for Kids, Haven Totes Inc., Exodus Community Services, Inc., Sold No More, Therapeutic Ranch for Animals & Kids (TRAK), Autism Society of Southern Arizona, Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona and the TMC Foundation. Read the full story at insidetucsonbusiness.com.

Arizona schools will open in 2020 to a 'new normal.'

Gov. Doug Ducey and Dr. Cara Christ, Director of Arizona Department of Health Services answered questions at COVID-19 news conference. Read the full story at patch.com.

Tucson nurse tells experience of battling COVID-19 in New Jersey.

"I have seen more death in these two months than I have in 22 years of nursing," said Mikki Sullivan in an interview with KOLD News 13. Watch the interview and read the full story at kold.com.

Hot temperatures in the southwest creates risk for spreading COVID-19.

With government-run spaces like libraries and community centers still closed, there are few places seek relief from the heat. This means that more people will be gathering in smaller spaces. Read the full story from usnews.com.

Ex-Arizona Opera conductor Joel Revzen died of COVID-19 complications.

According to the Arizona Daily Star Revzen led Arizona Opera through an artistic resurgence in the early 2000s. He died on Monday, May 25. He was 74. Read the full story at tucson.com.

Southern Arizona artists to teach art techniques on Instagram in June.

The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona has allowed artists to "take over" their Instagram stories. Artists teach audiences about art and will display their home studios. "Take overs" are scheduled through June, read the full story at tucsonweekly.com.

Omni Tucson National Resort reopens with new “Omni Safe & Clean” health and safety guidelines.

“The Omni Safe & Clean initiative follows the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and each individual Omni location will adhere to local and/or federal mandates. Protocols and guidelines from these authorities are expected to evolve, and as such, so will our below processes and procedures. Similarly, these guidelines meet or exceed the “Stay Safe” initiative set forth by the American Hotel & Lodging Association,” said Omni Hotels & Resorts President Peter Strebel in a statement. Read the full story at tucsonlocalmedia.com.

FEMA releases predictive Arizona-specific model for COVID-19 spread.

“This model previously predicted our peak resource utilization to occur around June 11, assuming our mitigation strategies were lifted at the end of the current Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected order on April 30. That order was extended through May 15th and was just recently lifted. The most recent model, dated May 7 predicts, even with the mitigation strategies lifted, that our current resources, including inpatient beds, ICU beds, and ventilators, are sufficient to meet a healthcare surge due to COVID-19," said Dr. Cara Christ. Read the full story at abc15.c0m.

The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra honored nurses worldwide with a virtual performance.

Volunteer performers joined a video conference call lead virtually by a director. Read the full story at tucson.com.

State health officials can keep the names of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 confidential.

Judge Christopher Coury said there was a conflict of law between public records, private health, and business information. Read the full story at abc15.com

Tucson Jewish Community Center will reopen in June.

The center will reopen in phases and under new safety protocols. Read the full story at azjewishpost.com.

Arizonans aren't getting the financial relief they need to pay rent.

According to NPR, almost 11,000 Arizonans have applied for help paying rent because of the COVID-19 crisis. But fewer than one thousand have received the money they applied for. Read the full story at npr.org.

An upwards of 20% of Arizona restaurants could close in the wake of COVID-19.

This estimate is from the Arizona Restaurant Association. This statement means that of the 9,500 "true restaurants" in Arizona, 1,900 could close. Read the full story from abc15.com.

'A moment of reckoning': coronavirus could break U.S. child care.

Now, more than half of the country's day cares are closed. Some will never reopen. Others barely hanging on could soon shutter. All are consequences of the new coronavirus pandemic that is exposing fundamental problems in a system tasked with caring for more than 12 million children. Read the full story at patch.com.