Arizona health director urges people to take coronavirus mitigation seriously
Dec 10, 2020, 4:05 PM | Updated: Dec 11, 2020, 12:00 am
PHOENIX – Arizona’s top health official in a new video Thursday continued to urge people to take coronavirus mitigation measures seriously and to not let their guard down.
Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ urged Arizonans to be cautious as holiday gatherings are likely on the horizon.
“With reliable vaccines on the horizon, there is hope, but for now, we must continue doing all that we can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Christ said.
Christ reiterated that staying at home is the safest way to prevent the spread of the virus, but reminded people to continue to social distance, wear a mask and wash their hands.
“If you don’t take these precautions every time you are around people from outside your household, you are taking a risk. You are letting down your guard,” Christ said.
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“COVID-19 transmission increases when people gather with close friends and relatives outside their household. Often, these are people that we trust to be taking the same precautions as us but there is no guarantee that is the case.”
Christ told KTAR 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Wednesday that Arizonans are doing a good job of practicing mitigation members when they’re out in public but are letting their guard down when they’re hosting gatherings at home.
“I’m not saying to give up on all friendships and gatherings, but for the time being, do it responsibly by practicing the proven mitigation strategies,” Christ said in the video.
Arizona continues to see COVID-19 metrics like cases, ICU and hospital bed usage move in the wrong direction. On Thursday, state health officials reported 4,928 new coronavirus cases and 73 deaths, bringing the state’s documented totals to 387,529 COVID-19 infections and 7,154 fatalities.
Arizona’s weekly percent positivity for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, an indicator of how much the virus is spreading in the community, reached its highest level in nearly five months last week at 18% for 156,574 tests.
As of Thursday, the positivity rate was 16% for the 5,409 tests recorded this week.
She noted that even though the coronavirus vaccine is on the horizon, it’s still months out for the majority of residents.
“For most, vaccination is likely months away, so please take the steps needed to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 and the chance you will unknowingly spread COVID-19 to others,” Christ said.
More than 380,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine are expected to arrive in Arizona by the end of December; however, the state’s vaccination plan prioritizes those who are healthcare workers or deemed at-risk.
Christ encouraged people who do gather for the holidays to only gather with people who are taking precautions and to keep the gathering small. She also referenced similar guidelines that the state health department released ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday like hosting gatherings outside.
