PHOENIX — In a letter sent to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, frontline healthcare physicians in Arizona call for more to be done to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Top doctors and hospital leaders who have been battling the COVID-19 pandemic from 16 hospitals joined to ask Ducey to "institute proven, enforceable, enhanced mitigation efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19."
The letter states statewide community spread of COVID-19 continues to be severe, and with the new variants of coronavirus coming to the U.S. they are seeing an increase in patients who are admitted to ICUs.
"Plainly stated, these patients are sicker, and more are dying from the virus," the physicians said in the letter.
"Our resources are exhausted, and we are struggling to handle the continuous waves of new patients that we see every day. There is significant concern that this is negatively impacting our ability to provide routine and necessary care to our patients. This problem is compounded by the fact that there have been a lot of mixed messages and misinformation, especially on social media, that has confused the public and eroded their trust in public health," the letter states.
The letter calls on Ducey to enact the following efforts, "in no particular order of importance:"
- Continue to aggressively expand access to the vaccine.
- Continue to increase staffing and assist in retaining staff in Arizona.
- Support outpatient strategies to decrease the number of patients needing hospital care.
- Except for essential services, limit public gatherings to no more than 25 people.
- Implement a statewide and enforceable face-covering mandate that focuses on business compliance rather than individuals.
- Standardize our school’s approach to virus control to allow for the schools to remain open.
- Follow the testing and quarantine guidelines recommended by the CDC.
- Closing bars and nightclubs and limiting restaurant operations to outside dining and take-out service.
For the full letter, click here or read below:
