TUCSON, Ariz.v — The COVID-19 outbreak alarm first sounded last week by Tucson city councilman Steve Kozachik.
He reported 86 positive cases in two student housing high rises, The Hub at Tucson and Olive.
The Pima County Health Department is calling it a serious outbreak with a transmissibility rate of 2.
Kozachik told KGUN9 the high rise owners, Core Spaces, have been reluctant to allow COVID-19 testing inside their buildings.
"Those students housing towers are the hot spot and they ought to be inviting us in to give us a real idea what the data are,” said
That changed Tuesday.
Rescue Me Wellness conducts those COVID tests. Lisa Ritter tells us she met with Core Spaces and the Pima County Health Department.
"I think they've (Core Spaces) realized the importance of getting together some type of strategy to identify who are positive and isolate those students as soon as possible to lower the transmissibility rate,” said Ritter.
She says testing will resume in a couple days.
Results are expected in less than 24 hours.
And contact tracing will initiate when students test positive.
“All these cogs have to move simultaneously to get this pandemic here in Tucson under control,” she said.
The testing is being funded through the federal Cares Act.