By Michael McDaniel | Arizona Republic
Doctors from the Maricopa County Medical Society warned Friday that Gov. Doug Ducey’s sudden decision to ditch the mask mandates and lift coronavirus restrictions could result in a new surge of COVID-19 infections.
With less than 30% of Arizonans vaccinated, doctors urged people to continue to mask up and follow CDC guidelines. Dr. Lee Ann Kelly argued each time we lifted restrictions, it was premature.
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“This past year, during the pandemic we’ve had a surge, and in fact in January we were the COVID hotspot of the entire world,” said Kelly, past president of the Maricopa County Medical Society. “The B-117 strain has actually already appeared at University of Arizona. New strains are often more contagious and sometimes more deadly than the original strain. It is imperative that we get control of COVID as soon as possible to prevent these future mutations and new strains.”
Despite the promising numbers of individuals getting vaccinated in Arizona, we see communities marginalized in the vaccination process.
