Arizona

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Ozone High Pollution Advisory for Monday, June 27.

Restrictions

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in authorization of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for infants and young children. 

The CDC approved Emergency Use Authorization for the vaccines as follows:  

Community levels reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now carry a recommendation of mask use in public indoor settings in Navajo and Apache counties. 

Based on the latest community levels for Maricopa, Pima, Coconino, Cochise, Gila, and Mohave counties, the CDC recommends talking to your health care provider if you are immunocompromised or high risk for severe disease to find out whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions. 

Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) and Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) have identified the state’s first probable monkeypox case. Testing at the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory returned a presumptive positive result, and confirmatory testing is underway at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the investigation is still in its early stages, the case is a man in his late 30s who is currently in isolation and recovering.

On Wednesday, May 25, 2022, Stage 2 campfire and smoking restrictions go into effect on state and federal lands throughout Southern and Southeastern Arizona.
Agencies entering Stage 2 restrictions include:

Effective Thursday, May 5 the following agencies will implement campfire and smoking restrictions:  

Arizona has a lot of unique features – like having a Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) instead of a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

But what might seem like a simple name difference can lead unsuspecting customers to unauthorized websites and scams when they’re simply searching for ways to do business online with the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.

Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new metrics to guide COVID-19 mitigation practices. The new metrics will continue to consider caseloads to determine community risk level and will also incorporate the impacts on the healthcare system as indicators to determine appropriate prevention measures for each county. According to the CDC, counties in Low and Medium can consider going without masks in public indoor settings. In High, the CDC recommends masks in all public indoor settings, including schools.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given full approval to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in those ages 18 and older. 

Moderna joins the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which the FDA gave full approval to last August for use in ages 16 and older. Ages 5 to 15 are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine under an FDA emergency use authorization. 

Expanding eligibility for COVID-19 boosters to include ages 12 and up is welcome news as the Omicron variant fuels a surge in cases around the country. 

Following approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded its booster recommendation to include ages 12 to 15. The CDC previously expanded eligibility to ages 16 and 17 and is now recommending boosters for this group.