New COVID-19 cases higher in this week’s update due to older reports from new provider
Cases added in this week’s COVID-19 data dashboard update are higher than they’d ordinarily be because we have added older data for a new provider reporting electronically. The dashboard’s summary page reports new cases reported since last week’s update. That usually includes some COVID-19 cases from tests administered before the previous week. There are quite a few more in this [...]
Great news: Children under 5 can now get COVID-19 vaccine
After more than two years of battle with an invisible killer, we can now vaccinate the youngest among us against COVID-19. This is great news. These vaccines have met strict federal requirements for safety and effectiveness to be authorized and recommended for children as young as 6 months old. Parents, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to [...]
Nine Arizona counties, including Maricopa, now have high COVID-19 community levels
Updated community levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) carry a designation of “high” for nine Arizona counties, including Maricopa. This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. The other eight counties with high COVID-19 community levels are Apache, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, and Yavapai. Community levels and mitigation recommendations take into account [...]
Monsoon storms bring dust, rain… and health dangers
Monsoon 2022 has arrived, and with it the promise of thunderstorms that will bring welcome rain. But the storms and the dust they kick up also bring health hazards, especially for those who already have respiratory ailments. Dust storms and heavy downpours occur across the state but are a higher concern for more than 6 million people who live in [...]
Three Arizona counties have high COVID-19 community levels
Updated community levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) carry a designation of “high” for La Paz, Navajo and Apache counties. This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. Community levels and mitigation recommendations take into account COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents and COVID-19’s impact on each county’s health care system. La Paz, Navajo, and Apache [...]
Help for those seeking COVID-19 vaccination for children younger than 3
I’m happy to hear that so many parents are planning to vaccinate their children younger than 5 years old against COVID-19. Among other age groups, vaccines have been safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness. Now COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone starting at 6 months of age. For parents of those younger than 3 years old, the best [...]