Arizona hospitals that are expected to be able to treat new cases of coronavirus without going into crisis mode were above 80% capacity Tuesday.
The milestone should trigger an automatic end to elective surgeries at affected hospitals. Wednesday's report from the Department of Health Services comes as the state deals with a surge in virus cases and hospitalizations that experts say is likely tied to Gov. Doug Ducey’s ending of statewide closure orders in mid-May. Ducey has been criticized for not adding requirements that could prevent a surge, and some say the time to put those measures in place has come.