Former health director says protesters should not get tested for coronavirus
Jun 9, 2020, 4:45 AM | Updated: 12:43 pm
(KTAR News 92.3 FM Photo/Taylor Kinnerup)
(KTAR News 92.3 FM Photo/Taylor Kinnerup)
PHOENIX – The former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services said Monday that not all protesters should get tested for coronavirus.
“These test kits are still in short supply, so ultimately you have to think about it this way—would I rather be using those test kits in assisted living and skilled nursing facilities or would I rather have a whole bunch of people in their twenties who were at these protests use those test kits?” Will Humble told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad.
“I’d rather save lives in the assisted living and skilled nursing facilities and prevent that inflow into our hospital system.”
Demonstrators in Phoenix have staged protests everyday for almost two weeks in response to fight against police brutality and racial inequality. Protesters have also mentioned the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Dion Johnson in Phoenix.
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As of Monday, the state had a documented total of 27,678 cases and 1,047 deaths.
Current AZDHS director Dr. Cara Christ sent a letter to hospitals Monday instructing them to activate their facility emergency plans to prepare for a surge of coronavirus cases.
The state reported Monday that 79% of inpatient beds and 77% of ICU beds were filled, leaving 1,506 inpatient beds and 363 ICU beds open.
Humble said a study showed that indoor environments are seventeen times more likely to spread the coronavirus than outdoor environments.
“I’m not saying these protests are risk free, and they are wearing masks, but at least its outside which it appears to be a much lower risk than indoor behavior like we see with the clubbing,” Humble said.
