Arizona Clears 2 Counties To Partially Reopen Schools

State health officials say COVID-19 conditions in Arizona have improved to the point where it is safe for two rural counties to reopen schools for partial in-person learning.

The counties given the green light are Apache and Yavapai. The state health department says its earlier statement that Cochise and Coconino counties were OK to open was incorrect. Prescott in Yavapai County and St. Johns in Apache County are among the large communities affected along with many smaller communities. The state’s other 13 counties, including Maricopa, which includes Phoenix, and Pima, where Tucson is located, still haven't cleared benchmarks based on case numbers, testing positivity and hospital visits.