The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing guidance for governors about when to relax masking and other measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, but doesn’t want to release those instructions just yet. Read more»

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread like wildfire in Arizona and shatter previous records in the pandemic, health experts are pleading with people to vaccinate, mask up and socially distance themselves to reduce stress on the health care system. Read more»

A mix of stigma, misinformation and bad accounting let COVID-19 run rampant through this small Arizona town in 2020 - but the community stepped back from that brink by building partnerships and fostering trust to track cases and increase vaccinations. Read more»

Despite the new COVID-19 variant that has quickly spread across the globe, there is little appetite in either red or blue states for reimposing lockdowns or mask mandates - a recognition of the public’s exhaustion after 21 months of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more»

Retired Blackfoot Police sergeant Buddy Fowler and wife Donna moved to Surprise to spend their golden years, but with too few people vaccinated and following COVID-19 guidelines, Fowler was hit hard by a case of COVID-19 and died despite being vaccinated. Read more»

Democrats worried about their chances next fall will likely pay even closer attention to the fury playing out in school board meetings across the country as voters turned out big for Republicans in statewide races in Virginia this week. Read more»

The next wave of the massive COVID-19 vaccination campaign could begin as soon as next week, after federal regulators decide if elementary school students across the U.S. should begin rolling up their tiny sleeves. Read more»

A new report by the Arizona Public Health Association found that COVID-19 was the leading cause of death in Arizona during the pandemic, unlike in other similar states that had more aggressive mitigation measures. Read more» 1

Calling a nationwide injunction on ICE’s COVID-19 response “sweeping” and unwarranted, a divided Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday ended requirements for ICE to adopt policies to protect vulnerable immigrants from COVID-19 at 250 U.S. detention centers. Read more»

El regreso a la escuela plantea problemas de salud para muchos de niños y adultos jóvenes que corren un riesgo de episodios de COVID-19, y las escuelas deben estar más atentas al uso de máscaras, la higiene de las manos y el distanciamiento social con aquellos alumnos. Read more»

The return to school raises health issues for many of the roughly 7 million U.S. children and young adults who are at increased risk for serious bouts of COVID-19, and schools have to be more vigilant about mask-wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing with those students. Read more»

More than 11,000 U.S. citizenship applications currently pending in Arizona - nearly double the backlog of 6,307 cases at the end of 2015 - and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the backlog comes from delays caused by pandemic service reductions last year. Read more»

Winter officially does not begin for 82 days, but employees at Sunrise Park Resort near Greer woke Thursday morning to a fresh dusting of powder as Arizona ski resorts and specialty shops have had to shift modes in preparation for what could be another unconventional ski season. Read more»

With conflicts over masking, vaccinations and confusing quarantine policies, families already on the brink now find themselves once again yo-yoing between in-person and remote learning while making impossible decisions about whether to risk their children’s health for their education. Read more»

The 2021 season is the NFL’s biggest ever with a 17-game schedule, but differing COVID-19 guidelines by teams have confused many fans - thus far, the Las Vegas Raiders are the only NFL franchise to require proof of vaccination to enter Allegiant Stadium. Read more»