Arizona COVID-19 cumulative counts, Dec. 14
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Ducey announces curfew; local officials say they weren't notified
AZPM
Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon following two nights of protests that turned violent. The declaration includes a statewide curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through next weekend. The order also allows the governor to call out the National Guard.
The first notification of the curfew came Sunday afternoon in a series of tweets from Ducey. The declaration caught many by surprise including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, who saw the notification on Twitter.
Romero said she had plans to recommend a curfew in any case, and Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said he is happy to have the additional legal tool to quell the violence that is springing up in some of the protests, including in Tucson on Saturday night.
Arizona schools chief released reopening guidelines
AP
PHOENIX — Arizona’s top school official on Monday released guidelines for reopening the state’s K-12 schools that includes detailed suggestions on how the districts can restart traditional classes after summer break.
But the document released by Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman leaves it up to districts to make those choices. And it says school boards should rely on guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help them decide.
The 36-page document was released just days after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said he was allowing schools to reopen in August. He closed schools in March.
Arizona faces 2nd night of curfew following looting, clashes
AP
PHOENIX — People in Arizona face a second overnight curfew Monday after looting at high-end businesses and clashes between police and civilians over the weekend led Gov. Doug Ducey to crack down.
Phoenix police arrested more than 200 people during demonstrations after the curfew took effect Sunday. Authorities say those arrested are accused of rioting, unlawful assembly, disorderly conduct or curfew violations. At least 10 minors also were detained.
Officials in the northeastern Arizona towns of Holbrook and Winslow wrote on Facebook that they didn’t face civil unrest and would not enforce Ducey’s curfew. The curfew lasts each night until June 8.
As COVID-19 cases mount, thousands Of Sonorans return to work
Fronteras Desk
Tens of thousands of Sonorans are heading back to work this week, after a gradual reopening for some industries started Monday.
A few weeks back, the Mexican government deemed construction, mining and transportation manufacturing essential businesses. In Sonora, they employ around 140,000 people, and a sizable percentage of them are back at work this week, the first of Mexico’s reopening, according to Sonora’s reopening spokesman.
Pascua Yaqui Tribe receives roughly $27 million in coronavirus relief
AZPM
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe said it’s receiving approximately $27 million in coronavirus relief nearly two months after President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act.
The CARES Act allotted $8 billion to tribal governments across the United States in March. The Navajo Nation, one of the tribes hit hardest by the pandemic, received $600 million.
Chairman Robert Valencia said in an interview Thursday, May 28 that the tribal council is deciding where to distribute the funds now, but a portion will go toward COVID-19 testing, supplementing people’s lost incomes and resuming some social services.
Sobering US nursing home death report as lockdowns ease
AP
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 26,000 nursing home residents in the United States have died from COVID-19, according to a report for the nation’s governors, a number that is partial and likely to go higher.
The disclosure came as coronavirus restrictions were easing from Asia to Europe to the United States. The Florida Keys welcomed visitors Monday, the Colosseum opened its ancient doors in Rome, ferries restarted in Bangladesh, golfers played in Greece and students returned to classes in Britain. But Miami-Dade County kept its beaches closed because of protests in South Florida and across the country over the May 25 death of George Floyd, the black man pinned at the neck by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Trump warns of military action; Floyd's brother wants peace
AP
MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump has threatened to deploy the United States military unless states quickly halt the violent protests that have convulsed cities from coast to coast.
The warning Monday came hours after George Floyd’s brother pleaded for peace in the streets, saying destruction is “not going to bring my brother back at all.” The competing messages — one conciliatory, one bellicose — came as the U.S. braced for another round of violence at a time when the country is already buckling because of the coronavirus outbreak and the Depression-level unemployment it has caused.
Tucson sees hottest May on record
AZPM
Friday’s high of 108 felt like the true start to a Sonoran Desert summer. But it also signaled the end of Tucson's hottest May on record.
The trend of record-hot days started in late April and ran through the first half of May, and despite a weeklong respite, the Tucson office of the National Weather Service reports the month ended with triple-digit temps.
That’s a marked contrast from May 2019, which was one of the coolest on record.
Navajo Nation reports spike in COVID-19 cases
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Despite promising trends last week, the Navajo Department of Health reported a spike in COVID-19 cases Monday, with 98 new cases and five additional deaths.
As of Sunday, the total number of deaths on the Navajo Nation reservation was 246. Officials said 5,348 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, and they estimated 1,840 people have recovered.
“During this difficult time, we ask our citizens to practice preventive measures to minimize COVID-19 exposure,” Navajo Nation Vice President Myron Lizer said in a statement.
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