Friday, April 9, 2021

Southern AZ COVID-19 AM Roundup for Friday, April 9: UA opening 8,900 first-dose vax appointments today; County opening indoor vax sites; Here’s how to set up vaccine appointments, COVID tests

Posted By on Fri, Apr 9, 2021 at 8:37 AM

With 1,302 new cases reported today, the total number of Arizona’s confirmed novel coronavirus cases topped 848,000 as of Friday, April 9, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Pima County, which reported 88 new cases today, has seen 113,463 of the state’s 848,202 confirmed cases.

With 7 new deaths reported this morning, a total of 17,062 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 2,367 deaths in Pima County, according to the April 9 report.

A total of 571 coronavirus patients were in the hospital as of April 8. That’s roughly 11% of the number hospitalized at the peak of the winter surge, which reached 5,082 on Jan. 11. The summer peak was 3,517, which was set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent lowest number of hospitalized COVID patients was 468, set on Sept. 27, 2020.

A total of 974 people visited emergency rooms with COVID-like symptoms on April 8. That number represents 41% of the record high of 2,341 set on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020. That number had peaked during the summer wave at 2,008 on July 7, 2020; it hit a subsequent low of 653 on Sept. 28, 2020.

A total of 149 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care unit beds on April 8, which roughly 12% of the record 1,183 ICU patients set on Jan. 11. The summer’s record number of patients in ICU beds was 970, set on July 13, 2020. The subsequent low was 114 on Sept. 22, 2020.

UA opening 8,900 vax appointments today, Pima County opening appointments at new indoor site

The UA POD will open 8,900 first-dose COVID-19 vaccination appointments today, with additional same-day appointments available every day.

The university advises checking for appointments frequently as appointments will be updated online throughout the day, based on operational capacity.

In order to encourage UA student vaccination, the university is offering students the ability to register onsite for a same-day appointment at either the student registration tent on Cherry Avenue open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the CAT Ambassador Team Tent on the Mall in front of the Student Union, or by registering online.

Anyone 16 and older is eligible for vaccination at the UA POD. To register for an appointment visit podvaccine.azdhs.gov. For further assistance email covidhelp@arizona.edu or call 602-542-1000 for help in English or Spanish.

The UA POD is open for walk-in or drive-thru appointments from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Pima County will also open registration today for appointments at a new indoor vaccine site at the Kino Event Center, where the county had earlier been doing COVID testing. That site opens Monday and will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Register at azdhs.gov.

Pima County transitioning to indoor vax sites

As temperatures rise, Pima County officials are shifting to indoor

vaccination sites to avoid making staff and volunteers endure long days in triple-degree temperatures.

The county has already opened an indoor vaccination POD at El Pueblo Center, 101 W. Irvington Road, which is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

The county will also work with TMC to move their drive-thru POD to a walk-through site at the Udall Center at Udall Park, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road, beginning April 19. Appointments can be made through register.vaccine.pima.gov.

The drive-through POD at Banner-South Kino Stadium, 2500 E. Ajo Way, will offer appointments between 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning April 17.

"We reached over 500,000 vaccinations in Pima County earlier this week, and we are going to continue our momentum as temperatures rise," said Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen in a prepared statement. "All these moves will keep the community, the POD workers and the volunteers safe from the heat as we put shots into arms."

Adults older than 16 now eligible for appointments at state and county clinics

Pima County and the state of Arizona have opened vaccine appointments to anyone 16 or older.

You can register for your vaccine appointments at a state POD by visiting pod vaccine.azdhs.gov, and those who need assistance can call 1-844-542-8201.

Register for an appointment at a Pima County POD at pima.gov/covid19vaccineregistration or by calling 520-222-0119.

Many local pharmacies are now receiving vaccine doses. To find one near you, visit the ADHS website.

Get tested: Pima County has free COVID testing

Pima County is continuing to offer a number of testing centers around town.

You’ll have a nasal swab test at the Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road, until it transitions to an indoor vaccination site.

The center at the northside Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road, involves a saliva test designed by ASU.

Schedule an appointment at these or other drive-thru or pop-up sites at pima.gov/covid19testing.

The University of Arizona’s antibody testing can determine if you have had COVID and now have antibodies. To sign up for testing, visit https://covid19antibodytesting.arizona.edu/home.


—with additional reporting from Austin Counts, Christina Duran, Jeff Gardner and Mike Truelsen