Tucson NewsNet Daily Digest - A Service of the City of Tucson
FREE COMMUNITY COVID-19 TESTING AT EL PUEBLO CENTER - The City of Tucson is offering free COVID-19 testing to any community member who wishes to get tested. This free testing, administered by El Rio Health, began over the weekend at El Pueblo Center, 101 W. Irvington Road. This is the second free testing site operated by the City of Tucson and funded through the City’s federal CARES Act grant. Testing began last month at the Morris K. Udall Center. Testing will continue at these sites until they are no longer needed to control the pandemic, and appointments are required. For more information regarding the free public testing and to schedule an appointment at the Udall and El Pueblo sites, visit the link below.
City of Tucson COVID-19 testing sites
COUNCIL MEMBER KOZACHIK CONCERNED ABOUT COVID-19 OUTBREAK AT UA - Ward 6 Tucson City Council Member Steve Kozachik says recent contact tracing and testing efforts for some University of Arizona students show a COVID-19 outbreak has been identified in student high rises west of the UA campus. "In the limited testing we have been able to conduct, in Hub Tucson alone we have found 45 positive cases," he said. "With 490 residents living in a confined congregate setting, the likelihood is the virus is already spreading throughout the building at an alarming pace." During an online meeting Saturday with Hub Tucson management and the Pima County Health Department, Kozachik requested building management mandate 100% testing for all of the residents. They declined, citing restrictions in their leases. Kozachik is calling on the UA to compel testing by issuing a directive that prevents any student from continuing to participate in any form of classroom instruction, including virtually, until they have produced a negative COVID-19 test result coming from a reliable PCR test, and that process must be repeated every three weeks until the end of the semester. "Pima County will issue orders to shut down swimming pools at the high rises and is exploring legal means by which individual rooms may be quarantined," he said.
Read Kozachik's letter
COVID-19 MONDAY UPDATE SHOWS NO NEW DEATHS - As of today, Sept. 14, Arizona now has 208,725 positive coronavirus cases, with 213 new cases reported today (down from 384 yesterday). The total number of cases includes people who have recovered. Of that number, 22,511 cases are in Pima County (up 61 from yesterday). There have been 5,322 COVID-19 deaths in Arizona (0 reported today), and 602 of those occurred in Pima County (0 reported today). Meanwhile, the City of Tucson maintains an up-to-date COVID-19 website (link below) that includes information for businesses, residents, and more. The site is updated as information evolves.
Data Dashboard from the Arizona Department of Health Services
City of Tucson COVID-19 website
ICYMI: TEXT TO 911 LAUNCHES IN PIMA COUNTY - Communications centers across Pima County have now integrated texting into the 911 answering system, allowing residents in need of emergency services to reach a dispatcher via text when calling is not an option. Traditional 911 voice calls are still preferred since they are the most effective way for dispatchers to gather information and field emergency calls. Text to 911 helps those who are unable to speak due to an emergency, or those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled. To best use the system, you must know and provide your location in the text. Also, you can't text with a 911-only phone nor can you text from an internet messaging program. The preferred language is English, due to limited translation services. The easiest way to remember when to use the system is to “Call If You Can. Text If You Can’t.”
Read the news release (PDF)
Watch a video detailing the system
Watch a brief PSA about the system
CITY OF TUCSON AND INTERMOUNTAIN CENTERS BREAK GROUND ON NEW SENSORY PARK - Ward 1 Tucson City Council Member Lane Santa Cruz, Tucson Parks and Recreation, and Intermountain Centers will break ground on Intermountain Sensory Park, 401 N. Bonita Ave., tomorrow, Sept. 15, at 3:30 p.m. In the fall of 2019, the Mayor and Tucson City Council approved the development and maintenance agreement of the park. It will be one of the only parks west of the Mississippi designed to accommodate those on the autism spectrum and will include elements for those individuals with physical disabilities. The new park will provide a safe and accessible place for people and their families who are living with autism. The building of the park will happen in phases as funds become available. Phase I improvements include fencing and a new turf play area that should be completed this fall. Financial support from the community is necessary to complete the construction.
Donate to the park
Intermountain Centers/City of Tucson news release
Tucson Parks and Recreation
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