Those behind and in support of masking requirements who have deemed cloth and medical masks satisfactory these past 22 months are now saying they’re no longer ideal. Instead, experts have begun calling for an “upgrade” of sorts. University of Arizona (UArizona) Public Health Policy and Management Director Joe Gerald is one such health expert; he toldKOLD that individuals should wear masks graded KN95 or higher, in addition to getting vaccinated.
“[People should be] making more careful decisions about how you interact these next few weeks, wearing a mask that’s upgraded to KN95 or higher,” said Gerald. “Public health right now is a hard sell. We are two years into this, many of the things we’re asking people to do require a sacrifice of self to others, and it’s a hard message even in good times. […] You’re not going to be able to convince everyone to do the right thing all the time, but you’re trying to get more people to do the right thing more of the time.”
Gerald has provided his expert opinion frequently throughout the pandemic to both policymakers and news outlets. Near the beginning of the pandemic, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) appointed Gerald to a task force charged with creating a model to predict COVID-19 spread. Gerald’s model predicted that the least amount of COVID-19 cases would occur by waiting to reopen fully until the end of May.
In early May, ADHS disbanded the task force. Instead, ADHS reportedly opted to use a then-undisclosed federal model from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The ADHS director at the time, Dr. Cara Christ, published the FEMA model later that month. Unlike the version offered by Gerald’s task force, the FEMA model didn’t account for the lifting of mitigative measures.
Gerald also predicted to reporters last June that the state would run out of hospital and ICU beds within weeks; that didn’t happen. All throughout last year Gerald pushed against UArizona’s reopening last fall for in-person class, tellingCNN last Julythat it was “a really stupid idea.” Last October, Gerald explained to The Atlantic how he’d successfully rallied UArizona to slow its reopening for in-person classes.
Gerald’s latest recommendation followed Pima County’s health department and board of supervisors implementation of another mask mandate last week. Individuals must wear masks indoors when six feet of social distancing can’t be maintained. The mandate’s enforcement measures relied on A.R.S. § 36-183.04 through § 36-183.07, as well as § 36-191. Individuals who fail to adhere to a compliance order may be charged a civil penalty up to $750, or $1,000 in one day and up to $10,000 per violation depending on the course of action undertaken by health officials. Enterprises who violate health edicts may owe up to $5,000; those who hold a valid permit could be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor, and the permitless could be guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor. However, the supervisors noted that any civil or criminal enforcement action couldn’t be undertaken without their approval.
The shift in masking narrative hasn’t been exclusive to the Pima County area: health experts and other Democrat-run areas across the country have been shifting theirs as well. Instead of cloth masks, the new, improved standard for masking has graduated to filtering facepiece respirators (FFPs) — masks graded KN95 or higher.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced Monday that their state would distribute at-home COVID-19 tests and N95 masks beginning Thursday.
As of guidance last updated in October, the CDC recommended cloth masks and advised against N95 masks. Their recommendation was based on the need to reserve N95 masks for health care personnel.
On Monday, the CDC announced that it would halve the recommended quarantine period from ten to five days. Infected individuals must be asymptomatic and wear a mask around others to receive the shortened quarantine period. The CDC recommended the same for those exposed yet uninfected, even for the unvaccinated or more than six months out from their last COVID-19 vaccination; yet, that same class of individuals may also be permitted to avoid quarantine altogether by masking for ten days, if quarantining isn’t feasible and they test negative after day five of exposure.
The CDC claimed their decision was “motivated by science.” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky emphasized that the new priority was a safe continuance of regular life.
“CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses. These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives,” stated Walensky. “Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”
CDC has shortened the recommended time for #COVID19 isolation and quarantine. Learn more about what to do if you test positive or have close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19: https://t.co/ScxsyrZI16.
It’s unlikely the CDC’s sudden change in COVID-19 mitigation protocol originated within the government. Rather, the push from large corporations may have prompted the change.
Nearly a week earlier, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian asked Walensky in a request letter to halve the required ten-day quarantine period for his fully vaccinated workers experiencing breakthrough COVID-19 infections. Bastian claimed that data on the Omicron variant suggested the virus was 25 to 50 percent more contagious but less virulent and with shorter incubation and infection periods for the fully vaccinated. According to the CEO, over 90 percent of Delta Airlines’ workforce has been vaccinated.
Bastian also proposed a partnership, offering up his medical experts to work alongside the government and “collect empirical data.” The CEO classified his workers as essential, equating their necessity to health care workers, police officers, firefighters, and public transportation workers.
“Our employees represent an essential workforce to enable Americans who need to travel domestically and internationally. With the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the 10-day isolation for those who are fully vaccinated may significantly impact our workforce and operation,” wrote Bastian. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the CDC to protect the health and safety of our people, customers, and communities as the pandemic evolves.”
Six days ago, the CEO of Delta airlines requested the quarantine period for COVID infections be halved to five days, to ease the burden on their workforce.
Some illegal immigrants crossing the border in Yuma are renting rides through Uber, according to drivers from the San Francisco-based ride-hailing service. The migrants either admitted that they were crossing the border illegally or gave their status away with red flag behaviors: remote pickup locations alongside large groups, with hotels as their requested drop-off location.
The drivers first reported these crossings to Fox News, who kept the drivers’ identities anonymous. Uber spokespersons wouldn’t say if they were aware that their services were being used for illegal border crossings. Instead, the company explained that drivers were permitted to cancel rides if they felt unsafe. Drivers could also call police about a rider’s suspicious activity.
The drivers noted further that services rendered to admitted or suspected illegal immigrants increased dramatically after the Biden Administration announced that former President Donald Trump’s Migrant Protections Protocol (MPP) — or the “Remain in Mexico” policy — would be reinstated. A month earlier, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it was terminating MPP.
Days later, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls declared an emergency over the border crossings. Nicholls reported over 6,000 illegal immigrants crossing through Yuma over the five days preceding his emergency proclamation. In addition to the dangers posed by illegal immigrants, such as heightened COVID-19 spread and crime, Nicolls explained that crossers were posing a threat to their economic viability and the nation’s food security by damaging agriculture fields.
“The surge of migrants has and will continue to directly impact Yuma’s agriculture industry,” said Nicolls’ office. “Currently, migrants are passing on foot through active agriculture fields. The encroachment on active production fields results in food safety concerns and the destruction of crops, which leads to significant economic loss and property damage in the farming community, loss of agriculture-related jobs, and a threat to the nation’s food security.”
The border wall along Yuma has gaps where construction wasn’t finished. The Tucson and El Paso, Texas sectors of the border wall also have gaps. DHS announced last week that it would use congressional funding to close those gaps, as well as finish gates, guardrails, access roads, drainage systems, signs, and construction site cleanup.
A week prior to that, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) called on the Biden Administration to finish the border wall for better security.
“We need better border security technology. We also need to deal with some of the gaps in border fencing in the Yuma area, and the small gaps present a significant challenge for Border Patrol,” said Kelly.
According to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), border crossings have increased by over 2,647 percent since October 1.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Arizona gained over 93,000 new residents from July 2020 to July 2021, making it the fourth-largest percentage of population growth during that time period, after Idaho, Utah, and Montana. These estimates come from the latest data published by the Census Bureau.
A majority of the states which former President Donald Trump won in the 2020 election gained new residents by the tens of thousands, with the exception of hundreds of thousands who flocked to Florida, nearly 220,900, and Texas, over 170,300. Although President Joe Biden won Arizona, the state has voted for Republican presidential candidates and been under Republican leadership for decades.
Net Domestic Migration by State July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021:
The following are states that Biden won that lost population: California, nearly 367,300; Hawaii, over 12,600; Illinois, over 122,400; Maryland, nearly 19,900; Massachusetts, nearly 46,200; Michigan, nearly 7,900; Minnesota, over 13,400; New Jersey, over 27,700; New Mexico, nearly 2,200; New York, nearly 352,200; Pennsylvania, nearly 3,200; and Washington, nearly 30. District of Columbia.
The following are states that Biden won that gained population: Colorado, over 13,000; Connecticut, over 5,100; Delaware, over 12,200; Georgia, over 50,600; Maine, nearly 15,500; Nevada, over 25,300; New Hampshire, over 13,600; Oregon, nearly 8,100; Rhode Island, nearly 900; Vermont, nearly 4,600; Virginia, nearly 9,000; and Wisconsin, over 3,300.
Trump won the following states that lost population: Alaska, nearly 4,000; Kansas, over 5,200; Louisiana, over 30,300; Mississippi, over 4,200; North Dakota, over 6,400; Nebraska, over 3,300; Ohio, over 3,100;
Trump won the following states that gained population: Alabama, over 22,100; Arkansas, over 16,000; Florida, nearly 220,900; Idaho, nearly 48,900; Indiana, nearly 14,300; Iowa, over 800; Kentucky, over 10,000; Missouri, nearly 14,900; Montana, over 19,200; North Carolina, nearly 88,700; Oklahoma, nearly 24,700; South Carolina, over 64,800; South Dakota, over 5,500; Tennessee, nearly 61,400; Texas, over 170,300; Utah, 32,200; West Virginia, over 2,300; and Wyoming, over 1,200.
Despite those gains, Arizona won’t earn a tenth congressional district. Arizona officials estimated the population at 7.4 million, but total counts at the time of the 2020 census came out over 7.1 million with an estimated 99.9 percent of households covered.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Cyber Ninjas will be a defendant in an ongoing case to access all records related to the Arizona Senate audit of the 2020 election, according to a court ruling last Wednesday. CEO Doug Logan was called to testify shortly after the ruling; his deposition is scheduled to take place January 5.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Kemp asserted that Cyber Ninjas records were a matter of public record and characterized the company as an agent of the Arizona Senate. The plaintiff, American Oversight, had claimed that adequate relief wasn’t possible without adding Cyber Ninjas as a defendant because the company hadn’t turned over records requested.
“Cyber Ninjas possesses certain public records that the Senate Defendants are statutorily obligated to maintain and that the Senate Defendants have been ordered to produce in this matter. The Senate Defendants have made demand on Cyber Ninjas for those public records, but Cyber Ninjas has failed to provide them,” stated American Oversight. “In addition, Cyber Ninjas is properly joined because it is the custodian of certain public records, as was recently held in Cyber Ninjas, Inc. v. Hannah […] ‘Cyber Ninjas was properly joined as a necessary party in PNI’s special action because . . . as an agent of the Senate, it is alleged to be the sole custodian of records pertaining to the audit that are subject to disclosure under the PRL. In other words, joinder of Cyber Ninjas is necessary only because the Senate does not have the public records that are in Cyber Ninjas’ custody.’”
Logan requested to be added onto the case as an amicus party only, which Kemp denied.
American Oversight is an investigative and litigational organization that files open records requests. They first sued the Arizona Senate in May after not receiving their requested records on the election audit.
The latest court developments in American Oversight v. Karen came days after Cyber Ninjas presented additional findings on purported election integrity issues to Pima County. Cyber Ninjas was joined in their presentation by secretary of state candidate and State Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley).
Finchem read aloud a letter claimed to be from an anonymous Democrat whistleblower. The unidentified individual alleged that fellow Democrats added 35,000 votes to President Joe Biden’s totals in Pima County. The allegation described a secret meeting with the Pima County Democratic Party to embed the votes across the county, detailing spreadsheet plans that would avoid any audit suspicion by keeping fraudulent votes in groups of 1,000 and total votes below the entire voting population.
The Pima County Democratic Party derided the claims as lies and part of a grifting scheme.
Election night reports that Biden won Pima County by nearly ten points: 58.6 to former President Donald Trump’s 39.9 percent.
The current secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, has the complete opposite perspective of Finchem. In addition to dismissing Cyber Ninja’s claims outright — usually calling their audit work a “#fraudit” on Twitter — Hobbs proposed a slew of progressive election reforms in a letter submitted to the state legislature last week.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Arizona law enforcement wanted to make sure this year’s Christmas was special for all the children in their communities; as always, they did so through “Shop With a Cop” programs. These annual events allow children from underprivileged or struggling families to shop alongside cops for Christmas presents. Local businesses and community members donate or volunteer time to make these events possible.
During a Shop With a Cop event, an officer will serve as a chaperone and shopping buddy for a child as they shop; sometimes, the events also incorporate a meal, activity like a movie, or even a visit from Santa. The intent of these events is to boost children’s morale while facilitating trust and confidence in police officers. Shop With a Cop also helps children practice good decision-making with their budget as they shop for themselves and their loved ones.
#FBIPhoenix joined our law enforcement partners the last few weekends for the AZ Law Enforcement Outreach and Support "2021 Shop with a Cop" event. Children were taken shopping and got to meet law enforcement personnel. We are thrilled to have been part of this amazing event! pic.twitter.com/E09Ig2H1Jp
Big smiles all around! ⛄️ On December 11th, detectives with the AZDPS Gang & Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) helped spread holiday cheer during the AZLEOS Shop With A Cop event at the Mesa Riverview Walmart. ? #AZTrooperspic.twitter.com/oFBOEcNslR
We are grateful to have been apart of this wonderful day which was was full of smiles and laughter!! AZLEOS Shop with a Cop! #azleospic.twitter.com/kXFbQrDE4a
This past weekend, MCSO participated in our final "Shop With a Cop" of the year. Within the month of December, we have provided toys for 115 children. That is 115 children who will now have #Christmas gifts under their tree.
Law enforcement agencies that participated in a Shop With a Cop event this year included the Arizona Rangers, FBI Arizona, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Gila County Sheriff’s Office, Prescott Police Department, Prescott Valley Police Department, Chino Valley Police Department, Phoenix Police Department, Mesa Police Department, Goodyear Police Department, Surprise Police Department, Lake Havasu Police Department, Cottonwood Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Chandler Police Department, and Benson Police Department.
The Arizona Law Enforcement Outreach and Support (AZLEOS) helped coordinate the participation of various police departments in Shop With a Cop events.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
