Yuma County hopes to develop baseline to assist in re-opening businesses

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - This week the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) released benchmarks providing guidance, for when some businesses can reopen. To meet these benchmarks, Yuma County is offering an upwards of ten thousand free COVID-19 tests for the community.

There is a new way of retrieving the sample. It's self-administered and not as uncomfortable.

As of Wednesday, data from the AZDHS indicates Yuma County’s coronavirus positivity rate is at 19.9%.

That means the county is nowhere near the goals of the state benchmarks to re-open. The first condition directly relates to the number of cases in a given county.

The second focuses on the percentage of the population that's tested positive.

The final benchmark relates to the number of county residents suffering from COVID-like illnesses.

In Yuma county based on our percent positivity rate right now we fall under "substantial." To re-open businesses, counties must have under ten percent COVID-19 positivity which will fall under “moderate” or “minimal.”

I spoke with Yuma County communications director Kevin Tunell, who tells me why it’s so important to come to get tested whether you are experiencing symptoms or not.

“That's an effect of what we're doing, you know we're trying to meet those benchmarks that are being pushed down by the state qualifying us to be considered to get these things open, you know, again this is a group effort and that's why we're doing this and it involves the entire community. It doesn't matter if you feel sick or if you don't feel sick. This is all-important data to help us establish where we're at. Infection wise in the community,” Tunell said.

Counties must meet all three benchmarks for at least 14 consecutive days to move to a lower transmission category and begin the reopening process.

COVID testing at Yuma Civic Center runs till Saturday from 6:30 A.M. to noon.