Maricopa County Public Health
COVID-19 Response Summary

Report for March 11 - March 18 , 2020

This is a rapidly-evolving situation.
Information in this report is accurate as of the time sent.

COVID-19 - This Week in Review
Maricopa County


  • Weekly webinar was held with healthcare. See the replay here.

  • New info and guidelines are now available on the COVID-19 website.
  • Letter from Dr. Sunenshine
  • Healthcare Provider Guidance
  • Home Isolation Guidelines

  • Virtual media availability was held to answer media questions.

  • Resource requests can be made through the resource request form on the MCDPH website. This does not guarantee this request will be filled

  • In order to maintain the healthcare workforce, MCDPH recommended fever and symptom screening of all healthcare workers and EMS, allowing them to return to work regardless of COVID-19 exposure, as long as they remain symptom free.

  • Commercial laboratory testing through LabCorp became available the week of March 2 and Sonora Quest on March 11. Lab testing guidance is available on the Maricopa.gov/coronavirus website. Healthcare Providers DO NOT need Public Health approval to order commercial testing. As more commercial testing becomes available, case counts will continue to rise rapidly.

  • Although commercial labs are now available to test, Maricopa County is experiencing a shortage of swabs and media limiting some healthcare providers from testing in the outpatient setting.

  • Providers DO need to call for approval to have suspected COVID-19 patients tested at the Arizona State Public Health Lab who meet the Persons Under Investigation criteria. Providers DO NOT need to call for approval to have suspected COVID-19 patients tested at a commercial lab.

  • Maricopa County healthcare providers are facing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). The state of Arizona will receive a limited supply of PPE from the Strategic National Stockpile next week. We know this will not fill the demand.


  • MCDPH is working with the Human Services Campus to ensuring this vulnerable population is able to participate in social distancing.

Of Note





  • The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) on March 16, 2020
Looking Ahead
  • Upcoming partner webinars include reoccurring healthcare and jurisdictional leadership webinars. To sign up for a webinar, email mcdphplanningchief@maricopa.gov.

  • Continuing to streamline operational processes.

  • Identifying resource needs and working to fulfill requests.

  • Looking to train other MCDPH staff to support essential operational positions within the incident command structure.
What can you do to protect yourself
and your family from COVID-19?
  • Stay home when you are ill.

  • Call your healthcare provider before going in to avoid spreading illness to others in the waiting room.

  • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, and dispose of tissues in the trash.

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

  • Avoid touching your mouth and nose to keep germs from entering your body.
Washing hands
Image source:
  • Have a plan for someone to care for your child (children) if they become ill and need to stay home from school.

  • Talk to your employer about ways to work from home if you become ill so you can stay home and away from others.


For Organizations
  • Discuss a continuity of operations plan that allows employees to telework.

  • Find alternatives to in-person meetings such as meetings with video or telephone conferences.

  • Encourage surface cleaning measures for frequently touched surfaces like light switches, door knobs and faucets.

  • Ensure soap, hand sanitizer and tissues are available.

Useful Links
(Accurate as of 3/11/2020)

Feel free to share these links with staff, partners, and clients
Still have questions? Email: