Tag: coronavirus

Opinion

Opinion: Curfew Shutdowns in Tucson Prove Ineffective

By Troy Hutchinson Since late November, Tucson was on a lockdown and was supposed to end on Dec. 23 but was extended by Pima County, forcing businesses and bars to close their doors at 10 p.m. Local businesses grew frustrated as the lockdown started to creep into the new year, causing their company to lose revenue, making it harder to stay open during these difficult times. With frustration growing, local businesses Cobra Arcade Bar, HireWire Lounge, The Maverick and Union Public House joined together to file a lawsuit against Pima County, demining the curfew unlawful on Jan. 5, according to The Arizona Daily Star. That lawsuit overturned the curfew and opened companies up on Jan. 20, going back to business as usual.  After talking to some local bar owners, no one was willing to go on t...
News

Arizona COVID update: Thanksgiving edition

By Troy Hutchison Arizona was one of the hot spots for COVID-19 around the country during June and July, with the highest cases-per-day coming on July 1, with a total of 4,877 cases across the state. After the spike, Arizona saw numbers decrease through mid-October, causing the state to reopen with some limitations still in place. Now, as we’re near the end of November, case numbers are starting to rise again, with 4,471 new cases on Nov. 20. The rise has brought concern to local leaders all across the state of Arizona and leaves people to wonder if students will be coming back to college campuses such as the University of Arizona (UA). When you walk around campus at UA, you’ll find many different opinions about the situation and how it might affect the school moving forward for the 202...
Opinion

Funerals in the age of COVID

Photo by Ashim D'Silva By Troy Hutchison In the last eight months, the world has gone through drastic changes to keep itself safe during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Events have been canceled, celebrations have been put on hold, classes gone from in-person to virtual classrooms, and these are just some examples of how society has had to adapt to the new COVID-19 world.   No matter how much society adapts to the situation we currently live in, nothing can prepare a person for a COVID-style funeral experience. When talking about this, I am not speaking just about COVID-19 related deaths; I’m talking about any death that comes during this time and the changes a family has to make to keep the funeral safe. That is something I recently went through, and it was an experience that I thought ...
News, Opinion

Covid-19 vs mental health

By NOOR HAGHIGHI A few weeks ago, my dad came home from Walgreens where he picked up some Zinc supplements for me. Many of us, myself included, have developed a keen sense of hypochondria during the pandemic. The slightest tickle in the throat scared me into believing that the virus was coming for me. He told me that all the supplements like Ashwagandha, which helps your body relieve stress, other nerve relaxants and stomach relaxants were quite scarce. When I stopped by Target later on, his claims were verified, as the sleeping pills and Vitamin Cs had also been wiped out. It feels like everyone is on edge; that this nervousness in the air is not confined to any particular age group. It’s taken a toll on my friends and I as high schoolers; I’ve seen it ripping families apart and it’s har...
And I learned how to get along (with Covid)
Features, News

And I learned how to get along (with Covid)

By Nate Martinez Fall is right around the corner, and you know exactly what that means: it’s time to bust out those new shoes, strap on that overpriced JanSport backpack and make your way from your bed straight to the couch to log on to your zoom class. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no face-to-face classes at Pima for the rest of the year. Many of us will miss seeing our old friends to study with and the face to face time with instructors that many students utilize to ensure they get the best grade possible. But is the absence of face to face classes at Pima Community College such a bad thing?  A survey was given by the Aztec Press to three randomly selected students. They were asked if the transition to fully virtual learning was either positive of negative and w...
A Look into Virtual Classes Q&A: Art 100 with Mike Stack
Arts & Entertainment

A Look into Virtual Classes Q&A: Art 100 with Mike Stack

By Troy Hutchison For the past seven months, the world has been affected by the ongoing pandemic due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19). With business closing and schools moving to online only, it is clear that the effects are still being felt today. In the state of Arizona, numbers have jumped up and down for months. At the beginning of the pandemic the numbers were low, with only 1,681 confirmed cases according to the Arizona Department of Health (ADH) at the start of the pandemic for the month of March.  However, fast forward to June confirmed cases spike to 76,926 and continue to increase moving forward into July with 79,871 confirmed cases.  These numbers have caused schools at every level to take action and come up with new ways of learning, moving classes from in-person to online virt...
Features, News, Opinion

Displaying Humanity in a Crisis

Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Sasnett / Arizona Daily Star Steve Tracy, Thunder Canyon Brewery co-owner and brewer, fills up 16oz bottles of locally made hand sanitizer at Thunder Canyon Brewery, 220 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson, Ariz., on April 6, 2020. by Kevin Hartung We often overlook opportunities to reveal our humanitarian side to others. It may be hiding somewhere under the surface, but the coronavirus is bringing it out in many. While many people reach out to family, friends, and neighbors, individuals are not the only ones to recognize the need and offer aid. A March 16 article on BuzzFeed discussed that a program, No Kid Hungry, identified a problem and framed a solution. The article stated that since the coronavirus has forced mass school closures across the country, millions ...
Control the Spread and the Panic
News, Opinion

Control the Spread and the Panic

Keesler personnel fill the Commissary at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, March 2020.  Photo courtesy Kemberly Groue by Kevin Hartung Worldwide, officials are scrambling to control the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) but maybe controlling the panic is equally important President Donald Trump, who had contact with coronavirus subjects, was tested and received negative results. To date, at least 30 countries have been banned from U.S. travel.   The economic fallout from the panic was instantaneous, with the stock market hitting another all-time low on March 14. Experts predict economic fallout from the coronavirus scare will be long-lasting. According to a March 17 article on the FiveThirtyEight website, five states have postponed their presidential primaries due to the coronavirus. Sta...
How to: COVID-19 testing in Pima County
News

How to: COVID-19 testing in Pima County

Photo courtesy Peterson Air Force Base By ELLIANA KOPUT   The rate of recorded COVID-19 cases in Arizona has increased exponentially over the past month. When the Aztec Press released Issue 2 on March 12, there was one reported case in Maricopa County. Now, we have surpassed 1500 cases across the entire state, with 32 related deaths. These numbers do not include those with pending tests, nor do they account for those carrying the virus who lack access to testing.    Pima County saw its first COVID-19 related death March 23. It was a woman in her 50s who likely had preexisting conditions that increased her susceptibility to the virus. The county had declared an emergency in unincorporated areas on March 19.    “It’s here. You just need to act like it’s in our community,” Dr. ...
PCC adopts virtual learning methods
News

PCC adopts virtual learning methods

Photo courtesy Drug Addiction Clinic Vita By ELLIANA KOPUT   Speculation of Pima Community College’s potential closure began to brew prior to spring break, about March 10.    This came following an uproar of campus closures throughout the United States, including announcements from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.    “While I definitely think the measures PCC has taken are with our best interests, and theirs, in mind ... it definitely hasn't been smooth,” said Vin Solewin, a cyber security and cyber forensic major. “It’s doubly hard as I’m a student tutor, so I have had two aspects of my life switched from in-person to on-computer.”   Omar Martinez, a business entrepreneurship major, agreed with Solewin.   “I think the local community communi...