This applies to cities that already declared local emergencies, as well as unincorporated areas of Maricopa County, including Sun City and Sun City West.
The below story ran in Thursday's Daily Independent.
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This applies to cities that already declared local emergencies, as well as unincorporated areas of Maricopa County, including Sun City and Sun City West.
The below story ran in Thursday's Daily Independent.
While multiple cities in Arizona have declared states of emergency due to COVID-19 — effectively shutting down bars and limiting restaurants to “on-the-go” service — its business as usual for similar places in Sun City and Sun City West.
As unincorporated communities with no power of their own to declare an emergency, the Sun Cities have to wait for direction from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors or the state government.
On Wednesday, March 18, Board Chairman Clint Hickman signed a proclamation of a local emergency for Maricopa County. The action provides additional resources to assist the county with coordinating response measures during the COVID-19 outbreak.
During this local emergency, Mr. Hickman has the authority to impose all necessary regulations to preserve the peace and order of Maricopa County, according to a release.
“The County is following guidelines set by Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health to protect the safety of our community and residents,” Mr. Hickman stated. “This proclamation helps us get funding and supplies to the responders on the front line.”
However, the proclamation does not ask for sheltering in place or closing restaurants, though Mr. Hickman would have the ability to do so if needed in the future, according to a county spokesman.
“Any decision made during this time under the declaration is specifically for unincorporated County,” spokesman Fields Moseley stated in an email.
A state of emergency declaration in some of the cities that have done so has meant stopping utilities from being disconnected — Arizona Public Services and Salt River Project have also agreed to halt disconnections — closing bars and forcing restaurants to only allow pick-up or delivery options.
But for similar businesses within Sun City and Sun City West, they remain open for in-house dining.
Hole ‘n One in Sun City West remains open 6 a.m.-8 p.m., according to an employee who answered the phone Wednesday. An employee at Paulie’s Little Bite of Italy in Sun City said they are processing what’s going on with COVID-19 and may shorten hours. But it remains open for dining in. Next door, Sunset Bistro, which serves alcohol, continues to operate at normal business hours. Their hours Thursday and Friday end at midnight and 2 a.m., respectively.
According to Capitol Media Services, Gov. Doug Ducey defended the state’s decision not to follow suit with cities to close restaurants and bars, saying there’s no reason for mandates — and that Arizona is following federal guidance.
Social distancing guidelines are still being recommended while people are out and about. That includes avoiding large gatherings, keeping 6 feet apart from others, washing hands, covering coughs or sneezes, and staying home if sick.
Kendra Eberhart, CEO and president of Royal Oaks Retirement Community, stated in an email that staff notified residents and employees on Saturday of a possible exposure to COVID-19 the week of March 11.
“As always, our priority is to protect our residents, staff, and visitors,” Ms. Eberhart stated. “At this time we are following the recommendations of the CDC and working closely with the Maricopa County Health Department to prevent the spread of infection.”
When any person has a COVID-19 test that is confirmed or presumptive positive, the MCDPH takes the following steps:
Immediately contact the person to notify them of the confirmed or presumptive positive test, and make sure they are isolated to avoid spreading the illness to others.
Interview the person to determine when the illness started, which helps identify when the person was infectious to others.
Ask the person to walk us through everything they did, who they were with, and the unique circumstances of each interaction while they were infectious. This helps determine the people who are considered close contacts.
Based on this information, Public Health determines who is most at risk for developing COVID-19 after interacting with this person, and contact each of them to notify them of their possible exposure, what they should do if they start to feel sick, and what steps they need to take to help prevent spreading the illness to others. This could include recommending voluntary quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure to the person.
If the person is a resident of a senior facility, Public Health contacts the facility and meets with leadership to discuss the specific circumstances of the exposure. If residents were exposed, Public Health works with the facility to implement infection control recommendations, monitor residents and staff who were exposed for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and communicate with exposed residents and staff regarding the exposure and next steps.
However, don’t expect any lists of locations where positive cases have been.
“If you are not contacted by Public Health, you are not at high risk of getting COVID-19 from that person,” stated Sonia Singh, spokeswoman for MCDPH. “People who walked by the person while in a public place or spent less than 10 minutes within 6 feet of the person are not considered to be at high risk based on CDC guidelines.”
For him, he’s preparing for his Yukon 2020 expedition in the summer. But Mr. Huseonica usually relies on the rec centers for swimming and other fitness activities.
“Not being able to practice swimming will deter me from being able to deal effectively and safely with unexpected mishaps on the river,” Mr. Huseonica said. “No access to fitness center’s equipment puts me behind the curve for being as physically fit as possible for the rigors of paddling 2,020 miles.”
His alternative is to hike more with the Sun City Hikers.
Beth Smith, president of that group, emailed her members Sunday, March 15 with guidelines for hiking. However, with the new information this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the hiking group felt it needed to cancel activities for the next 15 days.
Those latest national guidelines include that people are encouraged to avoid groups of more than 10 people.
“Between the pens and clipboards and trying to maintain social distancing, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to follow the latest CDC guidelines,” Ms. Smith’s letter stated. “As a BOD, we cannot keep you from informally hiking.”
However, officially, the Sun City Hikers canceled all hikes through March 31, as well as the Spring Overnight to Cottonwood which would have begun March 31 at the Lux Verde Hotel.
While gathering in large crowds is not advised, that is not keeping the Sun City PRIDES from keeping the community beautiful.
But Molly Soblewski, president of Proud Residents Independently Donating Essential Services, said the Board decided to cancel its April meeting.
“It would be my guess that the covid 19 situation is affecting everyone,” she said. “Cleaning the city will continue but everyone has been reminded to comply with the CDC guidelines and only work in groups of 10 or less and observe social distancing. Further, extra attention needs to be paid to how we handle trash, including wearing gloves, washing hands frequently, and using appropriate hand sanitizer.”
The PRIDES in Sun City West are also taking precautions, as they canceled their March 21 meeting, a March 25 Spring Picnic, and a March 28 breakfast.
However, the plan is to continue beautification efforts Saturday mornings because they’ll be outdoors. Members who still don’t feel comfortable in that setting are encouraged to do what they feel is right.
In addition, offices for the Sun City Home Owners Association, the Property Owners and Residents Association (Sun City West), and the Sun City Community Assistance Network will be closed to visitors, but staff will be available over the phone or email during regular business hours.
COVID-19 in Arizona
New numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services showed 44 cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Maricopa County has 22 cases as of the morning of Thursday, March 19.
Health officials have said no one has died in Arizona and the confirmed cases have been in stable condition.
Officials hope to expand testing in the coming weeks. Coconino County recently started drive-thru testing, but only people who are ordered by their doctor can participate.
For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
Those who feel sick should stay home, limit contact with others, not travel, cover mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or with alcohol-based sanitizer. They should also sanitize frequently-touched surfaces like door knobs, switches and electronics.
Since there is no treatment for COVID-19, the MCDPH recommends having over-the-counter medicines such as fever-reducing medications to help treat symptoms, as well as any necessary prescription medications. Getting plenty of fluids and rest are also helpful. If a person feels like they are sick enough to need to be seen by a healthcare provider, they should contact the office before being seen.
The Arizona Poison Control System is available to take COVID-19 calls from Arizona providers and the general public at 1-844-542-8201.
For those that are interested in volunteering, reach out to local Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster at www.azvoad.org. For donations, contact local Salvation Army locations, local food banks, and local blood banks.
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