PIMA COUNTY, March 5, 2021 - On March 5, 2021, the Pima County Health Department released an updated Public Health Advisory covering numerous COVID-19 response related topics. The advisory comes as yet another category on the Pima County’s COVID-19 Progress Report moved into the improved “Progress” category.
“We want to continue cautiously moving forward,” said Dr. Theresa Cullen, Health Department Director. “There are encouraging signs across the board as far as cases, hospitalizations, and vaccine distribution but, we cannot let our guard down."
The Public Health Advisory notes that despite improvements, February’s approximately 8,000 cases reported was still the fourth highest number of cases in a single month since the pandemic started one year ago. The advisory covers a number of topics including:
- An update on the vaccination efforts in Pima County, including the County expecting to surpass their 300,000 vaccination goal nearly three weeks sooner than expected. As of March 5, 2021, there have been 293,593 doses delivered in Pima County.
- The increased availability of Monoclonal Antibodies treatment within Pima County. Currently Banner Health, Tucson Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center, Oro Valley Hospital, and the Tucson Veterans Administration Hospital offer some level of Monoclonal Antibodies treatment.
- Current recommendations for continuing the use of tools like masks, limits on gatherings and other mitigation practices among individuals and businesses. Most notably, the end of the County’s voluntary curfew as of March 5, 2021, and the end of capacity limitations at restaurants.
- Reopening park and recreation facilities for organized sports with a limit of 50 spectators outdoors, face masks for coaches, officials, spectators, and athletes who are not actively playing, and other mitigation measures.
The County COVID-19 Progress Report now only has one category that remains in the “Red” stage – the total number of cases per 100,000 residents. That measurement could also improve in the coming weeks if cases stay on the decline.
“The important thing to remember is that these are all pieces of a larger puzzle,” said Cullen. “Our efforts to get vaccines out quickly, the continued use of masks in the community, and so on, are driving those measurements down together. To keep it going in the right direction, we all have to keep on doing those things.”
The Progress Report is updated every Thursday using data from two weeks in the past. This allows time to ensure that the data being used to inform the report has been verified and is as accurate as possible.
You can find the full Public Health Advisory and see the latest Progress Report