Feeling sick?  It’s not always easy to tell whether it’s the cold, the flu, COVID-19, or something else.  It might be tempting during the holidays to “tough it out” and continue seeing people.  We would encourage you to find alternative ways to connect.  If you’re sick, it’s important to stay home and stay away from others so you don’t get anyone else sick.

What to do when you’re sick >

View COVID-19 symptoms >

Find a site to get tested >

With COVID-19 circulating widely across the country, every single person in every age group is at risk age for getting or spreading the disease.  While most people will have mild symptoms or even no symptoms.  The virus spreads easily from person to person, and eventually it could spread to someone who will get really sick.  People with chronic medical conditions and those over the age of 65 are considered the highest risk for serious illness, but we know that people outside those risk groups can be hospitalized and even die.  Please take basic preventative measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 such as wearing masks, keeping six feet of distance from others, and avoiding close contact with people outside your household.

Our school data dashboard was updated this afternoon with all areas showing Substantial spread.  Schools and districts are continuously reviewing this data as part of their comprehensive decision-making process when choosing learning scenario environments that best meet the needs of their school communities. These are complex decisions with many factors for consideration.

View today's dashboard update and read more about the guidance here. 

To contact Public Health for guidance about when to prepare for a return to virtual learning, school officials can go here. Parents can contact Public Health here.

Looking for accurate, up-to-date information about COVID-19 vaccines?  Public Health has you covered.  At Maricopa.gov/COVID19Vaccine, you’ll find:

• Our vaccine distribution plan
• How many doses have been given to date
• FAQ’s about vaccine production and safety
• Information for frontline health care workers in our current Phase 1A
• Estimates on when you might be able to get the vaccine

We appreciate everyone who has subscribed to this daily COVID-19 update.  Here is our schedule for the holidays:

Week of 12/21: No updates 12/24 and 12/25.

Week of 12/28: One update for the week on Wednesday, 12/30.

COVID-19 case counts are updated Tuesday-Saturday around 9 a.m. with adjustments for holiday observances. You can visit Maricopa.gov/COVID19 or follow us on social media for the latest information and data.