ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s COVID-19 case counts are still plummeting, but this promising shift hasn’t relieved the state’s hospitals.
Families and patients are instead finding they have to advocate more forcefully for those who need care as the state’s emergency rooms in particular continue to be swamped.Â
This is not just due to COVID-19 but also to people coming in who were reluctant to seek care earlier in the pandemic, health officials are reporting.
COVID-19 patients occupied only 21% of inpatient beds Thursday, state Health Department data shows, down from 41% in late January, but hospital beds overall still remain close to full, with non-COVID patients taking up nearly all the rest. Only 6% of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s inpatient beds were available as of Thursday.
The data also shows emergency room usage continues to be consistently higher over the last two months than during the entire pandemic, jumping from being between 25-40% full in March and April 2020 to 65-75% full over the last two months.
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“Our emergency rooms have been so busy and so overwhelmed that they have had to come up with creative ways to get people the care they need,†said Dr. Monica Vandivort, a geriatrician who works in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and Pima counties, providing both in-home care and telehealth visits over the phone or computer.Â
“People are presenting with advanced cases of just about everything,†said Vandivort, who is also an associate professor at the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s College of Medicine.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center, which has one of the busiest emergency rooms in the state, reported that non-COVID patients are coming in sicker, requiring more care, and are staying for longer than the hospital typically sees.
Many staff members at TMC have also been absent due to illness and positive COVID-19 tests, “with about 15% of our nurses calling out on any given shift.†Nurses with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s Carondelet, St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s hospitals, picketed recently, calling their working conditions unsafe because staffing levels are so low.
“TMC is dedicated to all of the patients who come to us for care,†hospital spokeswoman Angela Pittenger said in an email. “We do this by carefully allocating staff to the area of most need, bringing in travel nurses and other critical staff, and offering incentives to retain core staff.â€
The care that’s provided normally is much different “when the hospital is not under the severe constraints we are currently facing.â€
Several families shared stories with the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ about their experiences with care and hospitals during these last weeks and months, including ways they tried to advocate for themselves and their loved ones. There’s been frustration, heartbreak, and also gratitude for the health workers who continue to provide care under very taxing conditions.
‘Very frustrating’
Roger and Neli Sprunt got sick with COVID-19 in late January but they weren’t worried until their 30-year-old son started showing symptoms, too.
Mathew Sprunt had asthma – and struggled with pneumonia when he was younger – so his lungs are especially vulnerable to respiratory viruses, his parents said.
Days before Mathew was admitted to Banner-University Medical Center South, the Sprunts had contacted the provider, desperate to get him antibody treatment, but they were told Mathew, who also has Down syndrome, did not qualify.
Banner spokeswoman Rebecca Ruiz Hudman said she could not comment on their specific case, but said patients have to reach certain risk factors to be considered for the treatment.
While his parents got better, Mathew’s fevers got worse and his blood-oxygen level became dangerously low. That’s when he was taken to Banner and started on oxygen.
It was hard for Mathew to have tubes in his nose, his parents said, and they were grateful one of them could be in the room to help Mathew and advocate for him. Their three other children came in from out of town to cover shifts, as Mathew’s oxygen needs increased.
“The nurses were very busy and could not provide the close attention Mathew received from family members,†Roger Sprunt said, adding that he thinks the family being there was “crucial for Mathew’s quick recovery.†He said they were also happy to help relieve the workload of the nurses.
As the illness continued, Roger Sprunt became anxious about his son needing to eventually be intubated and asked again about antibody treatment. He said he was told that it was too late for that, now that Mathew was hospitalized and receiving oxygen.
“It was very frustrating,†he said.
Eventually, Mathew was receiving 40 liters of oxygen per minute and that high flow through the tubes really bothered him. That’s when his parents started trying to help with the nasal congestion, hoping Mucinex and nasal spray would help. It did, and they were able to switch from nose tubes to an oxygen mask.
Mathew is home again. He was released from the hospital after nine days, a much shorter stay than expected.
‘Knew what it was I should be looking for’
Michelle Marenfeld was playing a board game with her husband and son when the nausea and discomfort started.
She initially took an antacid that evening, almost two weeks back, thinking it might be indigestion, but then the pain started. Marenfeld’s husband immediately drove her to TMC’s emergency room.
Heart problems run on both sides of Marenfeld’s family and the 44-year-old mother of two, who developed high blood pressure in her 20s, knows what to watch for.
The heart attack symptoms were obvious to her when she arrived around 9:45 p.m., breathless and bent over with pain, to find the ER standing room only.
She was immediately triaged, or assessed, and an electrocardiogram (EKG) test was given to see how the electrical signals in her heart were doing. Her blood pressure was high. Then she returned to wait in the lobby.
“There wasn’t even a chair for me to sit in so I kind of crouched down,†she said. “Then a really nice man gave up his chair and let me sit.â€
During this time, she said, the pain in her chest was severe. Around 11, she said, a technician told her the EKG test came back normal. At 11:30, she had blood drawn and briefly saw a physician.
“The first thing she asked me? ‘How many days have you been in pain?’ †Marenfeld recalled. “I said, ‘Days?’ â€
Back to the waiting room again. The pain had now dulled a bit and moved to her jaw and upper back, she said, and the nausea was coming and going. Marenfeld took notes about how she was feeling so she could later share what she had been experiencing. She said she was afraid the fear and fatigue would cause her to forget a critical detail.
At 4:45 a.m., she asked how many people were still ahead of her – there were two – and said she was told they didn’t know how much longer it would be. She was freezing, she said, and desperately wanted to sleep for just a couple of hours. She told the ER attendant she was going home and would return.
She slept for a few hours and woke up around 9 a.m., still in considerable discomfort. There were messages on her MyChart patient app that had come in a couple of hours earlier, at 7 a.m., showing her blood test results were in and had been completed since 12:34 a.m.
She scanned for the word she knew could mean trouble: troponin.
Troponin is a protein that’s found in the muscles of the heart, and its presence in the blood was a sign Marenfeld knew to look for, a warning that her heart could be headed toward serious trouble, or already there. There was also a new comment logged on her EKG that morning that she didn’t notice until later: “consider left atrial enlargement.â€
“I was in the ER for four hours and was not called or seen,†she said. “Luckily, I knew what it was I should be looking for.â€
When her husband brought her back that morning, she showed them her test results. They took her in immediately.
From there, she was put in a bed, started on an IV with blood thinners, given nitroglycerin and, she said, had a wonderful nurse assigned to her.
By this time, her troponin level had risen dangerously high, but she was finally getting the care she needed — and is grateful to the nurses and doctors who helped her.
‘Not just two old people’
William Hewes knows the heartbreak of fighting for a loved one but not getting help in time.
His wife died in November after she developed a blockage in her bile duct and there were no hospital transfers available from Sierra Vista’s Canyon Vista Medical Center to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ or Phoenix for more than a week.
“Without a doubt, that’s what caused her to go downhill,†he said of the prolonged wait in early September. “She had all the things you get from long-term hospitalization. She went from (being) a person who could take care of herself to a person who needed to be in a wheelchair.â€
Hewes said the transfer was supposed to be to St. Joseph’s Hospital in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, but that never materialized. Instead, a nurse started making calls, he said. After several hours, she found a spot in a Phoenix hospital.
Hewes was shocked there wasn’t a better system for finding available beds during a pandemic, and angered unvaccinated COVID-19 patients were prioritized through the state’s COVID-19 transfer line.

William and Maureen Hewes on their wedding day, Sept. 12, 1964, in a chapel at the Royal Air Force Base in Bentwaters, England. The couple met a year earlier at the officers' club in London.
By the time Maureen “Mo†Hewes was moved to Phoenix, her husband said her health had deteriorated considerably. The day before her surgery, Sept. 12, was their 57th wedding anniversary.
Hewes said he brought in a wedding photo of them standing in a chapel at the Royal Air Force Base in Bentwaters, England, where he had been stationed in 1964. They’d met a year earlier, he said, at the officers’ club in London.
Along with that, he also brought in a more recent photo of them, in their early 80s now but still enjoying life very much. Hewes, a retired attorney, said they loved to travel in their RV and belonged to the Escapees RV Club.
“I think by doing that, by showing them the picture, I could show them we weren’t just two old people who probably should die anyway,†he said. “We had a great life.â€
During the first surgery, it was determined that they also needed to take out her gallbladder, a procedure that took place a few days later.
Finally, after about three weeks, Hewes and his wife returned to Sierra Vista to start rehabilitation, but Hewes said Mo had lost her vigor. She began to have falls.
After she finally returned to her home from the rehab center, he said, her breathing became labored and she grew extremely weak. She was taken to Banner-University Medical Center in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ this time, and diagnosed with sepsis and a severe bacterial infection in her digestive tract.
She died Nov. 10.
‘Pursuing every avenue’
Anne Audrain isn’t sure where her husband Nate Cooper got exposed to the COVID-19 virus, but she thinks it might have been the mid-January day he’d gone out to run some errands. Within a few days, she said, the coughing started.
The couple live in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ County and, luckily, not very far from Dr. Vandivort, a friend of Audrain’s from the community.
As Cooper’s coughing got worse, Vandivort recommended a visit to the emergency room at Bisbee’s Copper Queen Community Hospital. She wanted Cooper to get a COVID-19 test and to see about antibody treatment. But Audrain soon learned the hospital in Bisbee did not have antibodies or even tests available at that time.
So, instead, she drove to Vandivort’s house and picked up a test. No surprise, he was positive.
What Audrain knows after nearly 30 years with Cooper is that he’s a very determined person, so she was not surprised when he told her he wanted to fight the infection at home. There would be no hospital stays, she said.
“He wasn’t going no matter what I said,†she said. “I was certainly pursuing every avenue.â€
From there, they started doing telehealth meetings, using a pulse oximeter and a blood pressure device they had at home.
With the support of his wife and telehealth, Cooper was monitored as he rested at home.
He’s now completely recovered, Audrain said.
He will turn 94 next month.
Photos: A Year of the Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Pop Cycle, 422 N 4th Ave. March 20, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Roxanne Lee, manager of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center cath lab, stands with nurses and other colleagues in Lifegain Park during a memorial ceremony to remember those who have died of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), on Jan. 19, 2021.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Most of the students are learning remotely (screen at the back of the room) in Alyssa Keri's math class at Catalina Foothills High School in the Catalina Foothills School District, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, on Feb. 4, 2021.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Costco shoppers line up early at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Marketplace at The Bridges in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on March 14, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Volunteer Bill Rauch loads food supplies into the trunk of a car at the Community Food Bank at 3003 S. Country Club Road, on March 18, 2020. The food bank started a drive through pick up service to allow for social distancing in response to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19.)
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A pedestrian walks by the shuttered doors and windows of the Surly Wench Pub, the day after the city's drinking establishments were shut down due to COVID-19 distancing measures, March 18, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Victor Sanchez, a cook at Robert's Restaurant, holds a sign up to let to let passing drivers know they are still open at 3301 E Grant Road, on March 19, 2020. Restaurants and other small businesses are taking huge losses as people self quarantine and self distance to diminish the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19.)
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Banner UMC’s drive up system is for emergency room triage for a variety of illnesses and is not for random testing for COVID-19. It has been put in place to keep crowds from the ER and protect the health of patients and staff.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A line grows outside the doors to Trader Joe's at Swan and Grant as an employee limits customers entering the store to one-out one-in, March 20, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A group of friends from St. Louis enjoy their lunch along Sentinel Peak after a 40-mile bike ride on March 20, 2020. The cycling friends planned their trip to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ months ago and decided to keep their vacation plans. They arrived on March 1st and leave this weekend. For the past three weeks they've been cycling through Saguaro National Park, up Mt. Lemmon, Kitt Peak and The Loop. On Friday they got takeout from Seis Kitchen and their bicycle touring company set up tables and chairs for them. They felt they self-quaratined with just the six of them during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Madelyn Hardy takes a phone-in order behind the locked doors at Renee's Organic Oven, March 20, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. The restaurant is now taking no cash, doesn't allow customers into the building and leaves bagged orders on an outside table for diners to pick up.
Park Place

Park Place has been sold at foreclosure auction but changes to the mall are not immediately expected.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Sarah Lang views responses from her fifth-grade students while teaching remotely on Google classroom at Centennial Elementary School in the Flowing Wells School District, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, on March 20, 2020, after the shutdown of schools due to the pandemic.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Marina Cornelius, owner of Floor Polish Dance + Fitness, teaches her Cardio Party-o class via Periscope to her students on March 20, 2020. Cornelius says this is the first time she's trying to livestream classes and is learning as she goes.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Jo Schneider stands in the empty outdoor seating area of La Cocina located at 201 N. Court Avenue, on March 26, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A woman walks along a nearly empty street in downtown Nogales, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, on March 24, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Dana Reed-Kane, co-owner of Reed's Compounding Pharmacy, 2729 E Speedway Blvd., pours a finished batch of hand sanitizer into a bottle at her store on March 27, 2020. Kane is making gallons of hand sanitizer and selling it to the public each day as part of a movement among such pharmacies to help out with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Michelle Don Carlos, founder of Mending Souls, sews masks in her home on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s west side, on March 25, 2020. She and other volunteers are producing masks for emergency responders using anti-viral fabric donated by local hospitals.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Vanessa Richards, 18, left, and Ella Dotson, 17, take a selfie as their friend, Camilla Hamilton, 17, gets her photo taken by Vanessa's mother, Chrissi, along Scott Ave. in downtown ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on March 31, 2020. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the rest of the schoolyear has been canceled. Richards, Dotson and Hamilton are seniors at Marana High School and will not have a formal graduation ceremony. The trio came to downtown to get photos of themselves in their caps and gowns.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A dinosaur statue over the doors of MATS Dojo at 5929 E. 22nd St., sports an athletic cup for a face mask in the second week of COVID-19 restrictions, March 31, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Raj Paudel hands a bag of food to a customer at Govinda's to-go-tent located at 711 E. Blacklidge Drive, on April 1, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Angel Perez and Dan Hawk perform from Perez's balcony, giving the neighborhood a COVID-19-isolation style concert from his balcony, April 1, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Tessa DeConcini, senior at University High School, poses for a portrait with her prom dress and graduation cap at University High School, 421 N. Arcadia Ave., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on April 1, 2020. DeConcini, along with many other high school students, will miss out on prom festivities as well as their graduation ceremony due Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Dr. Liz Almil chats with one of her group from afar as members of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Cancer Conquerors distribute exercise gear, apparel, citrus and coffee during a handout at Brandy Fenton Park, April 11, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. The group is trying to find ways to keep their members exercising despite being forced into isolation by COVID-19 restrictions.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Rachel Huante greets her son Zeddicus Atherton as he trots out the door ahead of Lanee Pender carrying his sister Xena Atherton, part of the the new procedure of no parents inside the building at Kids First Preschool, April 15, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Cheri Carr grimaces as she receives a nasal swab while getting tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a drive-thru testing site at Escalera Health & Wellness, 2224 N. Craycroft Rd., on April 17, 2020. Patients can receive a COVID-19 and an antibody test.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Dalia Meshirer waves to a friend as the Golder Ranch Fire District trucks begin to roll by as dozens drive by her home to wish her a happy eighth birthday, April 2, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A sign strapped to the median at 6th Street and Campbell Avenue gives southbound motorists a little pep-talk in the COVID-19 times, April 23, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Kitchen manger Koa Hoffmann tosses dough while working up a crust for a call-in order as he and few others keep cooking at Bear Canyon Pizza despite COVID-19 restrictions, April 22, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Jesse James Tucker, owner and trainer at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Rising Phoenix Fitness and Defense, records a video response on techniques for one of his members outside his home in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on April 14, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Kyria Sabin Waugaman, right, pilates instructor at Body Works in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, and one of her teachers, Alessangra Lima, host an online workout class at Body Works, 1980 E. River Rd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on April 17, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Homer Cass, left, talks to his son, Richard, middle, and grandson, Jason, 22, through a window at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center on April 27, 2020. The hospital is making adjustments during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to now allow visitors. Upon entry everyone's temperature is taken and then friends and family members can use their cell phones to talk to their loved ones through a window for 15 minutes.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Emily Wolfgang, manager at Little Anthony's Diner, talks with a customer during the first day of Little Anthony's Diner Carhop at Little Anthony's Diner, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on April 28, 2020. Little Anthony's Diner, in response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), started an old fashioned 1950's carhop. "It's been a long time since we had a carhop," said Tony Terry, president and owner of Little Anthony's Diner and The Gaslight Theater. "It fits our life right not." Little Anthony's Diner Carhop runs from 11am to 8pm Monday through Sunday. Customers can park in designated parking spots and order and pay for their food from the safety of their car, said Terry. Employees, dressed in 1950's attire with masks and gloves, will come out to check on customers and deliver drinks and food on trays, which resemble trays used in the 1950's that can attach to car windows. There is a Carhop menu, which include burgers, salads and shakes, but customers can order other items off the menu. DJ Phil, Little Anthony's Diner DJ, will play music that can be heard though speakers outside. "We may keep it after the virus," added Terry.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Alex Swain, a member of Beloved in the Desert - ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s chapter of the Episcopal Service Corps, carries bags of groceries to the home of an elderly man, on April 3, 2020. Swain and his housemates have volunteered to shop for elderly and at risk populations as people quarantine and stay at home during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Mike Pfander, left, and his wife Jeanne talk with Mike's mother Margaret Pfander from the service driveway just outside Margaret's apartment in Villa Hermosa, April 25, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. With the COVID19 lockdowns relatives have to meet without breaking isolation protocols, through windows or over walls.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Ralph Acosta, valedictorian of the Amphitheater High School senior class, is greeted at his home near 22nd Street and 12th Avenue by principal Jon Lansa in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on May 1, 2020. Acosta will speak during Amphi's video graduation ceremony.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Detective Mary Pekas and Lt. Michelle Pickrom carry trays of food as they deliver meals with Mobile Meals of Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, on April 29, 2020. Police officers with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Police Department are volunteering while off duty with the program to allow for elderly volunteers to stay at home during the epidemic.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Stylist Rahnay Curtis, left, and owner Jennifer Ball at CDO Barbershop on May 8, 2020, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A nurse sporting a "Save Lives" mask takes part in a car procession honk-a-thon driving by Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital after departing from the Safeway across the street, on Jan. 12, 2021.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Fire paramedics roll a gurney through a tent setup outside the Carondelet St. Joseph's Hospital's emergency room, on April 14, 2020. The tents are used to screen staff and patients for potential Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) before entering the hospital.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Catalina Foothills High School graduates throw their hats in the air as they are videoed on the stage on the football field at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Dr., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on May 11, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Catalina Foothills High School is videoing all 415 graduates individually over three days crossing the stage with their diploma cover. Small groups of graduates are escorted toward the stage and stand next to cones set apart for social distancing. After video and still pictures, graduates are given a t-shirt as they leave. "Its an amazing amount of work and planning, but our grads are worth it," said Julie Farbarik, director of Alumni and Community Relations at Catalina Foothills School District.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Lunchtime is normally standing room only at R&R Pizza Express, 13,905 N. Sandario Road, Marana. But it was sparsely attended on May 11, 2020, as the state allowed restaurants to re-open their dining rooms. Owner Linda Molitor carefully spaced tables to maintain social distancing for dining-in.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Jordan Wentzel works on a customer's return at DSW located at 7191 E. Broadway, on May 12, 2020. Shoes tried on and returned by customers are cleaned with disinfectant and then stored for three days before being put back on the floor.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Dr. Susan McMahon, left, lifts a healthy Camille Keicher as mother Audrey gives a reassuring nudge during Camille's six-month well-visit at Mesquite Pediatrics, 2350 N. Kibler Place, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, on May 15, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Carolina Castillo, house keeping staff member, wipes down a chair and table in the food court at Park Place Mall, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on May 19, 2020. Malls reopened today under CDC guidelines and Gov. Ducey's new rules for businesses due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Park Place Mall has signs throughout the mall reminding customers to keep a six feet distance as well as hand sanitizer stations near each entrance. About half of the tables in the food court have been removed to allow for social distances as well as less than half of the stores have opened with new guidelines. Of the stores open, only 10 customers are allowed to shop in each store at a time.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

The B Gates are largely empty on the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day, less than a dozen people waiting for flights at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ International Airport, May 22, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Brian McKinley carts out the extra chairs for temporary storage after the seating had been rearranged to meet COVID19 restrictions at Rincon Presbyterian Church, May 21, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Houses of worship are searching for ways to adapt to the new reality.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Ernie Villalobos, general manger of Roadhouse Cinemas, talks with returning employees about some of the new safety measures at Roadhouse Cinemas, 4811 E. Grant Rd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on June 9, 2020. Roadhouse Cinemas will reopen on Wednesday June 10 at 3:15 p.m. with new safety measures in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The new safety measures include plexiglass set up in front of cashier stations, informational signs placed through out the theater as well as signs on the floor indicating 6-feet distances. Each of the nine theaters will be at 50% capacity to allow for distancing between seats.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Fatuma Mohamud, employee, walk past two plexiglass stands infant of registers at Funtasticks, 221 E. Wetmore Rd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on June 17, 2020. Funtasticks has reopened with new safety procedures in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. All attractions are open with equipment being cleaned after ever use, social distancing signs and plexiglass placed in front of registers.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Students in the "Let's Spin" class ride their stationary bikes outdoors at Let's Sweat, 439 N 6th Ave., on August 19, 2020. Soleil Chiquette, owner of the fitness studio and gym, says she moved her classes outdoors and limited class sizes in order to adhere to coronavirus disease guidelines. She's had to cancel some classes that involve students to be indoors. Chiquette says an app was created for her business when the pandemic first started so that members can have access to fitness classes and challenges.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Cafeteria worker Francis Fontes sorts chicken nuggets into bags for grab-and-go distribution use at the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Unified School District-Food Services building located at 2150 E. 15th Street, on Sept. 23, 2020. The TUSD Food Services Department has continued to provide services for students and families throughout the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by distributing thousands of meals a week for students. In addition to the daily grab-and-go distribution throughout the city, the district has implemented an alternative weekly pickup of a week’s worth of meals (including breakfast, lunch, and five days of snacks) at the TUSD Food Services Department Central Facility off of 15th street.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Alyssa Cossey, conductor and director of the University Community Chorus (UCC), sets up for a webinar series she is directing from her home on September 8, 2020. The webinar takes place twice a month for the school semester. Cossey wanted to create something for people to participate in during this lack of physical choir performances and rehearsals due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. The series is free and open to the public.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Music director Eric Holtan leads the True Concord Choir during rehearsal for their upcoming performance, "The Nurturer – Brahms Requiem," at Dove of Peace Lutheran Church, 665 W. Rollercoaster Road, on Oct. 19, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Eli Hyland, left, 78, starts to form a heart with her hands while watching her daughter Karen Shea form a heart during their outdoor visit at Elderhaven Assisted Living, 2501 N. Soldier Trail, in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., on October 22, 2020. They started making hearts with their hands during their window visits and it has stuck, said Shea. Shea was able to visit her mother through window visits during the pandemic but recently Shea was able to visit her mom in an outdoor setting under strict protocols. They were required to wear masks, get their temps taken, maintain a six-foot distance at all times and were not allowed to touch each other.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Tiana Hair, PCC psychology clinical instructor, grabs a filled COVID-19 saliva test tube during a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Pima Community College East Campus, 8181 E. Irvington Rd., in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. on Dec. 11, 2020. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State University in partnership with the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Department of Health Services is now offering appointment only drive-thru COVID-19 testing, via a saliva test, at three Pima Community College campuses.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Second-grade students make gingerbread cookies while a warm fire burns on the Smart board at Mesa Verde Elementary School, 1661 W. Sage St. on Dec. 17, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Marcos Moreno, a volunteer for 15 years with Miracle en el Barrio, writes the number of children on the front of a mini-van as he welcomes families to the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Rodeo Grounds for the 18th year of the event, on Dec. 18, 2020. As a precaution against the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the annual event used a drive-thru style format to handout toys, gift cards and other items to children and families
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Five-year old Antonio Moreno reaches out to Santa Claus, getting as close to him as the COVID-19 protective snow-globe bubble will allow during the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Parks and Recreation's drive-thru Cookies With Santa at Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., December 16, 2020. It was slow at the drive-thru and when there were no others around, a few kids like Antonio got a chance to almost touch the Big Guy.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

A playground structure closed due to the coronavirus pandemic at Arthur Pack Regional Park north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on May 8, 2020.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Kris Green stands with hands over heart as students pass by on her last day as a teacher at Manzanita Elementary School on Oct. 23, 2020. After nearly 40 years, she decided to retire before in-person instruction begins on Oct. 26. Green was a district teacher of the year.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Elana Bloom: It was very shocking. Everything I had planned for, my whole business was canceled over a two day period. Bloom owns Solstice, a textile business and would make most of her money in the Spring to help with the slower months of the summer. April 14, 2020
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Sgt. Michael Moseley receives the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine during the administration of the vaccination to members of the public who meet the 1B priority eligibility of at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Medical Center's Marshal Center, on Jan. 15, 2021.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

People are directed into the line at the University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s COVID19 drive-thru vaccination facilities on the school's mall, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., February 5, 2021.
Coronavirus Pandemic in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Resident Victor Braun laughs with a CVS Pharmacy health care worker after getting his first dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine at Hacienda at the Canyon, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., January 27, 2021. The facility's residents and staff were part of a two day vaccination program in conjunction with CVS Pharmacy and monitored by the in-house personnel from TMCOne clinic.
Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 806-7754 or