Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus in Arizona today.
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Prescott, announced Sunday he and three of his staffers were placing themselves in self-quarantine after they came into contact with an infected person at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week.
Gosar said he and his staff were notified the person had been diagnosed with coronavirus and was hospitalized. The lawmaker also said he and his staff are not showing symptoms, but they are being “proactive and cautious” since they had “sustained contact” with the infected person. Thus, the representative’s office is closed for the week.
Gosar notably referred to the disease as the “Wuhan Virus” in his tweet, which goes against World Health Organization recommendations.
The WHO said the name COVID-19 “was deliberately chosen to avoid stigmatization.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also came into contact with the infected person and placed himself under self-quarantine. He said Saturday that he had a brief conversation with the person and shook the individual’s hand.
However, Cruz noted he’s feeling good and not showing symptoms, but he wants to “give everyone peace of mind.”
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, also attended the conference but has not announced a quarantine. The Copper Courier contacted his office to see if he also came into contact with the sick person but did not receive an immediate reply.
Arizona Case Identified as Member of Queen Creek School
The Arizona Department of Health Services announced Sunday that one of the state’s five cases of COVID-19 is a member of a school in Queen Creek.
The agency said the person, who is connected to the American Leadership Academy’s Ironwood K-12 Campus, has fully recovered. The person was not on school grounds while sick, the agency stated, so the risk of the disease having spread to others is low.
While the school is on spring break, staff plan to clean all areas of the campus, add more hand sanitizer stations, and establish cleaning and hand-washing practices for when students return.
The third Arizonan diagnosed with disease was identified as a female healthcare worker in her 40s who lives in Pinal County and works in Maricopa County. According to The Arizona Republic, the state’s fifth coronavirus case is the healthcare worker’s son. The newspaper reported the woman’s husband was also hospitalized with the disease.
Numbers Update
The number of positive cases of coronavirus held steady at five on Monday. ADHS said it had tested a total of 56 people, with 44 of those ruled negative and seven pending.
The number is expected to increase in the coming weeks, though, as the agency ramps up its testing.
Jessica Swarner is an associate editor for The Copper Courier. She is an ASU alumna and previously worked at KTAR News 92.3 FM in Phoenix.
