COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — The Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation in northern Arizona is requiring staff and patients to again wear masks at its facilities due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
The mask mandate took effect July 19 and will be enforced at the TCRHCC facilities in Tuba City, Flagstaff and LeChee.
"TCRHCC will enforce this mask mandate for at least two weeks, after which the situation will be reviewed weekly,” said Dr. Amanda Burrage, the TCRHCC medical director of public health. “The mandate will be lifted when COVID-19 numbers fall below CDC thresholds.”
TCRHCC said it is currently out of home COVID-19 tests but is working to replenish supplies as soon as possible.
TCRHCC provides health care services to the Navajo Nation, Hopi and San-Juan Paiute communities.
When the pandemic first began four years ago, the virus started to spread rapidly in Navajo communities and, at one point, the nation had the highest per capita infection rate than any state in the U.S.
On a statewide level, COVID-19 cases have trended downward in Arizona since reaching a peak in January 2022.
Arizona reported 2,632 cases of COVID-19 during the week of July 7, which is a 72% decrease compared to the state's three-year average of cases.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
UP TO SPEED
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
