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TODAY'S KEY MESSAGE
Health Data Will Guide Arizona School Plans
At a press conference this afternoon, Governor Ducey announced that public health benchmarks will be created to determine when it's safe for schools to reopen for in-person learning. Those benchmarks are expected to be released by August 7.
Public Health's Role: Advising Schools, Not Making Policy
School policy is made by the Arizona Department of Education at the state level and school administrators and school boards at the local level. Maricopa County Public Health provides guidance that helps these groups make informed decisions. At a press conference yesterday, Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine explained what Public Health is doing to assist decision makers.
We are learning more about how COVID-19 spreads among children. The research shows that kids who get the virus tend to have more mild symptoms than adults. The research also shows that children 0-9 are less likely to spread the disease than adults, while children 10-19 seem to transmit the virus at a higher rate than adults.
If have a younger school-age child, start getting your child(ren) used to masks. Practice a little at a time so, if they go back to class in-person, they’re already used to wearing masks. See these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
If your child is due for immunizations, talk with their healthcare provider about how they can get immunized. (Not sure? See the immunization schedule here.) It’s a step you can take to protect your child against vaccine-preventable diseases. If your provider cannot see you or you do not have a provider, you can contact the Maricopa County Public Health Immunizations Clinic.
Behind the Numbers: 100,000 Cases in Maricopa County
More than 90% of our total cases have been reported since June 1. Nearly 50% were reported in the first three weeks of July. These trends indicate increased transmission in our community.
In the weeks following the countywide mask mandate, we have begun trending downward in terms of daily cases.
Since January, 63% of all COVID-19 cases have been among those age 44 or below. Early in the pandemic, most reported cases were among people age 65 or older.
An estimated 40% of COVID-19 patients are either asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, meaning they could be spreading the disease without being aware they have it.
More than 250 Public Health volunteers have contributed 5,000+ hours of their time to the COVID-19 response.
Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine has two things everyone should know about COVID-19 in our community right now.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Planning and Development has seen a year-over-year increase in demand for building permits. Many of those applications are happening online.
Friday, July 24 at 5 p.m. is the deadline to request a ballot in the mail for the August Primary Election. Visit BeBallotReady.Vote or call 602-506-1511 to make your ballot request. If you prefer to vote in-person, visit one of the County’s 50 Vote Centers currently open with safety measures in place. Locations can be found at Locations.Maricopa.Vote.
2020 CENSUS
Make your voice count and help your community return stronger. Participate in the 2020 Census so Arizona receives its fair share of federal funding for infrastructure, emergency response, and community services.
All information requests related to Maricopa County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic should be directed to the Joint Information Center using the email address caomedia@maricopa.gov.
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