Pima County Now “Strongly Recommends” Indoor Masks As COVID-19 Cases Rise | Local News

In practice, this means that counties report more than 50 new cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period, or more than eight percent of test results are positive for infection during that same period. A majority of Southern, Midwestern and Western counties now fall into this category, and as of July 19, Pima County has done the same.

Gov. Doug Ducey remains adamant against mask warrants and said in a report Tuesday that nothing statewide in Arizona would change.

The new guidelines deviate from the CDC’s position since May that fully vaccinated people could do without masks in most indoor spaces.

CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said the change came as vaccination rates across the country declined and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant accelerated.

Officials were also persuaded, Walensky said, by new data suggesting that if people vaccinated are less likely to have severe symptoms of COVID-19, some vaccinated people could become contagious and transmit the disease to others.

“As you may recall, until recently it was believed that if you were vaccinated and contracted COVID, your ability to pass the virus on to others was very minimal,” Cullen said Wednesday. “This is changing based on growing scientific evidence. “

Cullen said “breakthrough infections,” where vaccinated people get sick from COVID-19, only account for about 0.1% of cases in Pima County, but the prevalence of the Delta variant is on the rise. increase.

On June 12, the health department reported that it had only one confirmed case of the Delta variant in Pima County. On July 17, that number rose to 41 confirmed cases of the variant in the region, and with just 12% of all cases sequenced in the lab, Cullen said that number could be “at least double.”

The Pima County Health Department has also aligned itself with the CDC in strongly recommending that all teachers, staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools wear masks indoors, regardless of their status. vaccination status.

“As we go back and face it face to face (schooling) – which is what we want, we are very supportive of that – masking is the only thing out there as a vehicle and tool that can be used by people. siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, staff and the district to help encourage a decrease in any further outbreaks, ”Cullen said.

Between July 2020 and July 2021, about four percent of all coronavirus cases in Pima County were reported in the K-12 age group, Cullen said. This year, the health ministry predicts that between five and ten percent of all COVID-19 cases will come from schools.

Even before most schools return to class this fall, the health department has already seen 56 cases of COVID-19 in schools since July 20 and expects to add ten more cases to that number by now. day’s end Wednesday, Cullen said.

Most of the cases were in school districts already in session, Cullen said, and stemmed from “activities that we know put K-12 students at risk,” such as football, pom poms, etc. – cheerleaders and freshman orientations.

To help schools trace and contain potential outbreaks, the Pima County Health Department will continue to monitor cases as they are reported and recommends that schools consider “grouping” students. to prevent viral spread.

It’s the department’s responsibility, Cullen explained, to assess vaccine status, conduct contact tracing investigations and make recommendations for isolation or quarantine, if necessary.

“We are aware of what the governor has said, and we believe our approach in this regard removes responsibility from the schools,” Cullen said.

According to CDC data, the overall vaccination rate for Pima County currently stands at 52.4%, but Cullen said that was “not where we need to be.”

The county has seen a 12.3% increase in COVID-19 cases over the past seven days – an increase that, if sustained, would put Pima County within range of a “high” level of transmission, which is a seven-day moving average of over 100 cases per 100,000 people.

“The reason we don’t separate children from adults from older cases in this tally is because of the belief that this is what is happening in the community at large,” Cullen said. “It is therefore important to note that there is a potential for very significant impact on the community due to the cases in the school setting,” she said.