“Arizona is one of 12 states seeing a rise in hospitalizations from Covid-19 and one of eight states that experts say are the new hot spots for the virus. The relatively fast rise in new cases in Arizona makes it one of the most concerning outbreaks because its health care system could soon be overwhelmed. Hospital capacity was at 83 percent as of Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
It’s not entirely clear what’s driving the rise in new cases, but on May 15 Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted the stay-at-home order enacted on March 31. The state’s reopening is guided by an executive order that “allows businesses to gradually and safely open in compliance with federal guidelines as the state continues to mitigate and prevent the spread of Covid-19.””
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“the state issued protocols for public health measures like physical distancing, hygiene, and wearing masks, the executive order didn’t provide a way to enforce them or to ensure compliance. (Many experts believe masks should be mandatory in crowded public spaces to reduce transmission, and several other states have made them so.)
“They were ‘recommendations’ instead of ‘requirements,’” said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association and the former director of the ADHS.
Three weeks later, infections are spiking.
“If you do a root cause analysis of what’s going on and what’s wrong, it’s that word [recommendations],” said Humble.”
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“Meanwhile, countries like Italy that have lifted their restrictions have not seen a resurgence of the virus. Experts aren’t sure why. It may be due to changes in habits and hygiene that have stuck. The difference in outcomes highlights the importance of early action and vigilance. States like Arizona meanwhile are launching a real-world experiment, and an extremely risky one at that.”
https://www.vox.com/2020/6/11/21286431/coronavirus-arizona-covid-19-cases-deaths-navajo-nation