June 10, 2020

The Honorable Doug Ducey

Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Governor Ducey,
I am concerned that your administration has recently failed to underscore the seriousness of the
growing public health emergency that our state is experiencing with COVID-19. For example,
your administration has said that the increase in cases is expected and has emphasized that we
are seeing more COVID-19 infections due to increased testing.
While the state has increased testing, public health experts are ringing alarm bells that the virus
is quickly spreading in Arizona given the dramatic increase in both the number of positive tests
and the percent of tests that are positive. Below are just a few of the most worrying statistics and
opinions from public health experts. I urge you to do more to emphasize the seriousness of the
situation to the people of Arizona and take this information into account as you make decisions
that will greatly impact the number of lives we lose during the pandemic.
• Today, an additional 1,556 people tested positive for COVID-19, which is the second
largest daily increase of confirmed cases. June 5, 2020 with 1,579 confirmed cases is the
first.
• The percent of positive COVID-19 tests has more than doubled from approximately 5% a
month ago to 12% last week.
• Yuma County has the highest growth of COVID-19 cases in the country for counties that
have greater than 1,000 COVID-19 cases.
• The largest Arizona health system, Banner Health, has reached capacity for their external
lung machines and is close to reaching their ICU bed capacity as well.
• Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have eclipsed 1,000 people for 9 consecutive days.
• The University of Washington Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is revising up
its projections of COVID-19 deaths in Arizona from 2,900 by August 4 to 4,400 by that
date.
 • Will Humble, former director of Arizona Department of Health Services, said that,“If
current trends continue, I think we are on the road to field hospitals and/or another stay-
at-home order.”

Clearly, Arizona is going in the wrong direction. What does your administration plan to do
about it?

Sincerely,

Ruben Gallego
Member of Congress