Pima County health director says COVID cases on rise

Pima County is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases as the summer progresses, mirroring trends seen in previous years.

Pima County Health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen confirmed this pattern during a recent interview with KGUN 9.

"We are seeing a rise in cases in Pima County," she confirmed. "This actually mimics what we’ve seen the last few years, where we seem to have a summer spike."

The spike is expected to continue for the next three to four weeks.

Dr. Cullen attributes this increase to several factors, including the heat which forces people indoors, creating environments conducive to the spread of the respiratory virus.

Another contributing factor is the mutation of the virus.

"The virus has mutated a little," Cullen said. "What that means is people may have less resistance to it. Even if you had COVID, say, one or two years ago, this is a different variant and you are at risk to get it again."

With schools in Pima County set to re-open in the next few weeks, the health department is working closely with educational institutions to mitigate the spread of the virus.

"We do work closely with the schools, and what we recommend is air-exchange. So the more air that moves in a room that is filtered, the less likely you are to transmit the virus," Cullen emphasized.

Cullen also highlighted the importance of vaccination in managing the impact of the virus.

"We believe people that are fully immunized definitely have better protection. Will that mean you won’t get COVID? No, but what it will mean is if you do get COVID, you’re likely to mount better resistance to it, so you should get less ill," she said.

For those concerned about testing, free test kits are available at all Pima County public libraries. These kits include two tests each and will be available at least through the end of this year.

In light of the recent COVID-19 diagnosis of President Joe Biden, Dr. Cullen reiterated the importance of layered responses to prevent transmission.

"Stay home, which is what we really recommend so that you don’t infect anybody else. Make sure that if you are eligible for Paxlovid or treatment, you consult a provider," she advised.

If you'd like to find more information about COVID-19 here in Pima County, you can visit the county's frequently asked questions and resources page here .