As of this week, more than 19,000 people in Arizona have died from COVID-19. I grieve for all of them, and for the families and loved ones who endure their loss. Those of us in public health have worked constantly since January 2020 to help Arizonans protect themselves from COVID-19. We take these unfortunate milestones [...]
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report released today offers more evidence that vaccinating as many eligible people as possible against COVID-19 is a critical part of protecting kids from infection and severe illness. The analysis in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) found that emergency department visits and hospital admissions [...]
The COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool we have to keep us moving forward. Join the millions of Arizonans who have already been fully vaccinated. That's the call to action in a new ADHS public-service announcement you'll see on TV and online. COVID-19 vaccines have brought us a long way. Families and [...]
It’s a natural question that we hear regularly: Amid substantial COVID-19 spread, what does ADHS recommend for people going to large events, small gatherings, grocery stores, restaurants, and more? The answer is simple and no doubt frustrating to many: As much as we all want to be done with COVID-19, the pandemic isn’t done with [...]
Cases and deaths added today to the ADHS COVID-19 dashboard are far lower than they’d ordinarily be because of a data-processing issue. After days of averaging more than 3,000 cases added to the dashboard, today’s update adds just 822. Meanwhile, the same issue combined with data cleaning means the number of total deaths since the [...]
As incoming interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, it’s my privilege and solemn responsibility to succeed Dr. Cara Christ, who has so capably led Arizona’s COVID-19 response. I’m honored to be part of the team she has built -- talented professionals working nonstop to promote public health amid a global pandemic. It’s [...]
A public service announcement featuring Governor Doug Ducey and Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General and the governor’s adviser on public health preparedness, is now airing on Arizona television stations in addition to social media and streaming media. I hope you’ll heed their advice to help protect yourself and others from COVID-19: Get vaccinated [...]
