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Why Testing And Contact Tracing Still Matter As Arizonans Get Vaccinated

By Steve Goldstein
Published: Tuesday, March 2, 2021 - 1:19pm
Updated: Thursday, March 18, 2021 - 1:51pm
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State health officials added nearly 850 new coronavirus cases and 81 deaths March 2. Hospitalizations are down, but only slightly as they appear to be levelling off.

As for vaccine administration, the state health department announced that anyone 55 and older can now get the vaccine, but it is limited to the State Farm Stadium and the Phoenix Municipal Stadium locations. More than 1.8 million doses have been given so far.

COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to increase, and the number of reported cases continues to decrease. But even with those positive signs, scientists and researchers are cautioning against de-emphasizing some of the factors that got us to this point. And they’re not just talking about social distancing and continuing to wear masks — they’re also focused on testing and contact tracing.

For more about that, The Show spoke with epidemiologist Dr. Saskia Popescu of George Mason University and the University of Arizona.

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