COVID-19 by the numbers. Maricopa County has been tracking COVID-19 cases since Jan. 22, 2020. Review the latest numbers here.
Remember, a healthy Scottsdale starts with you. Stay home when you can, practice physical distancing and wash your hands frequently. Find downloadable graphics for social media and request a poster pack for your business or organization.
Scottsdale’s face coverings reminder. Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order last week that rescinds his previous executive orders concerning the COVID-19 global pandemic. Here’s how it affects Scottsdale:
-
Local governments can require masks in their own facilities. The city requires the use of face coverings inside city facilities including Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. If patrons do not comply with this requirement, they will be asked to leave. This policy can and will be legally enforced.
-
Face coverings are no longer required during outdoor events on city property. However, those attending outdoor Scottsdale Arts events are still required to social distance from event participants not in their immediate household.
-
Scottsdale businesses can choose to require patrons to wear face coverings.
-
Public transit riders and operators must continue to wear face coverings, in accordance with a January 2021 Presidential order.
Learn more.
We are still in substantial community spread; precautions are just as important as ever. We have seen improvements since the start of the year, but there is still substantial spread of COVID-19 in Maricopa County. See the data on community spread by zip code, school district or city. While requirements are changing at the state level, the medical advice is not. We should all continue to do things to keep ourselves, our neighbors and our families healthy: keep your distance and mask up when you can't, avoid crowds and get vaccinated.
Aquatic and fitness centers expand and open. Cactus, Eldorado and McDowell Mountain Ranch aquatic centers are open for lap swim, lessons and fitness classes. Fitness centers are available to the public, as well. These changes come on the heels of Gov. Doug Ducey’s new executive order that rescinds his previous orders concerning the COVID-19 global pandemic. Face coverings are still required inside city buildings, including fitness centers.
Arizona Department of Health Services opens relocated vaccine site Monday, April 5. This new site replaces the current outdoor one that operated at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The Dexcom facility, 8046 E. Ray Road in Mesa, will offer up to 4,000 appointments a day, operating from 7 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days a week. It can support 12,000 indoor appointments and 24-hour operation. Appointments are required and will be available via the state's registration site. Find other locations to get a vaccine.
Do you need to get the vaccine if you’ve already had and recovered from COVID-19? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yes, you should get vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. That’s because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible—although rare—that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again. Learn more about why getting vaccinated is a safer way to build protection than getting infected. Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19 in real-world conditions. CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.
Why can’t younger children receive the vaccine? A COVID-19 vaccine has not been authorized for children younger than 16. Because the immune systems in children are different from adults, vaccines must be tested in younger age groups to ensure safety and efficacy in younger people.
All three vaccine manufacturers currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration are conducting trials that include participants between ages 12 and 18 with their parents’ permission. Moderna also has started a clinical trial to test the vaccine in children younger than 12, including babies as young as six months. It may be late 2021 or even 2022 before there is enough evidence on the timing, safety, effectiveness and practical aspects of vaccinating children for the coronavirus, especially children younger than 12. Learn more.
What should I be mindful of after I’ve been fully vaccinated? If you’ve been fully vaccinated, that means it’s been two weeks since your second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine. Here are some things you can start doing, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
-
Gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.
-
Gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
-
If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
-
However, if you live in a group setting (like a correctional or detention facility or group home) and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.
Learn more.
The city’s COVID-19 page contains information about the city’s emergency orders, facilities and operations. Learn more here.
