Arizona Will Make Coronavirus Vaccines Free For Everyone
ARIZONA — When Arizona receives its supply of coronavirus vaccines, anyone who wants one will get it for free.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced at a Wednesday news conference amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the area that the state is working with insurance providers to ensure that all Arizonans will have access to the vaccinations free of charge.
"The vaccine should be free for anyone who needs it," he said.
Dr. Cara Christ, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, also told reporters that Pfizer and Moderna's coronavirus vaccinations are expected to arrive in the state by mid-December. A formal distribution plan will be rolled out later this week and Christ said that the vaccines are allocated by population size.
Ducey said he asked Christ and her vaccination task force to prioritize teachers in the first wave of distribution, alongside frontline workers and the most vulnerable populations.
The governor declined to institute a statewide mask mandate or any shutdowns at this time, despite calls from University of Arizona researchers to do so. Ducey also said he disagrees with Tucson's decision to mandate a citywide curfew for much of December.
"I believe we should instead focus on accountability and enforcing the rules we have," he said.
"Independent sources have Arizona's mask usage rate at 91 percent, higher than states with a statewide state mandate," the governor continued. "That's a tribute to Arizona citizens and local leadership."
Instead, Arizona will focus on enforcement around the mitigation steps it already has in place, including limited capacity in restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters.
To help restaurants stay open safely, Ducey announced a partnership with the Arizona Restaurant Association to provide $1 million in funding for restaurants to expand their outdoor dining capacity past public sidewalks and walkways. The funding will be allocated by executive order.
Another executive order addressed large, public events of 50 people or more. When a public event greater than 50 people is approved, the local city or county must publicly announce the event and post details of the enhanced mitigation strategies on their website.
Ducey also acknowledged that Arizona's coronavirus numbers are trending "in the wrong direction" and said he is "highly concerned."
The number of positive tests was 15 percent last week; this week's numbers are trending higher. ICU bed capacity is rising, as are hospital visits with people experiencing COVID-like symptoms, according to Christ.
To ease the burden placed on healthcare workers and hospitals as the cases continue to rise, the state will invest an additional $60 million to bring 500 nurses to Arizona from out of state.
But Ducey said he doesn't want any Arizonan to have to visit the hospital because of this virus. He encouraged everyone to keep wearing their masks, washing their hands and to continue social distancing.
"These are small steps that make a significant difference in slowing the spread of this virus and protecting our fellow citizens," he said.
This article originally appeared on the Across Arizona Patch
