By Matt Roy
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

The story — like the coronavirus itself — seems to change minute-by-minute as this March madness continues.

After a single college basketball conference announced canceling the final games of its regular season Tuesday, by lunchtime Thursday the NCAA had nixed the entire championship series for both men’s and women’s basketball.

And every professional sport now in play followed suit  — including Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League  — either postponing or suspending all operations while other sports worldwide have canceled games or barred attendance.

That includes cancellations close to home, where the Cactus League Spring Training season ended abruptly Thursday, leaving ballparks across the Valley empty for the remainder of the season, according to league officials.

“Major League Baseball has canceled the remainder of the 2020 Cactus League season due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. Ticket holders should contact the individual ballparks for information on ticket refund policies,” reads a notice at the league’s website: cactusleague.com.

But this isn’t the only local impact of the escalating global pandemic, as the World Health Organization labeled the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday.

Maricopa County officials announced Thursday some polling locations for the Tuesday, March 17 Presidential Preference Election (née Democratic presidential primary) has been shuttered  — especially those located in senior centers, according to media reports.

To find out which polling places to use, voters can visit maricopa.vote, navigate the right side of the page down to the link “Polling Locations List,” and select “Search Polling Places” to see an up-to-date list.

Or they may call the elections department at 602-506-1511, but only if willing to navigate a phone tree to eventually speak to a fellow human for advice on where to cast their ballot.

Sun Cities situation

While researchers in the U.S. and abroad scramble to learn more about the virus and its potential public health risks, most concur those over age 50 are especially advised to take care.

In the West Valley age-restricted communities of Sun City West and Sun City, officials issued statements related to the virus throughout the week.

Officials at the Recreation Centers of Sun City West announced some facilities will be virtually shut down for a two-week period.

Having initially announced early Wednesday the cancellation of a major event and disinfection precautions in all its facilities, officials later the same day announced the closure of all indoor facilities.

The closures began 5 p.m. Thursday and will continue for two weeks, with an expected reopening Monday, March 30.

“This has been a difficult decision for us, one that we have been weighing for a few weeks now,” RCSCW General Manager Bill Schwind stated in a press release. “What it comes down to is, safety has always been our first priority in all that we do, from budgeting decisions to maintenance priorities. With the coronavirus, there are a lot of unknowns, which has made this decision even harder. But what we do know is we have a high-risk population just based on age. Add in all the club rooms and confined spaces where these residents gather, we believe the time has come to mitigate the risks as much as possible.”

By contrast, Recreation Centers of Sun City officials are not shutting down facilities or canceling events at this time, according to Joelyn Higgins, RCSC communications and marketing coordinator.

An email sent to recreation cardholders Monday explained the corporation’s position on the virus.

RCSC officials cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reported that for the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from coronavirus is considered low.

“The Recreation Centers of Sun City has standard procedures in place for cleaning of all RCSC facilities,” RCSC officials stated in the email. “This includes using recommended disinfecting systems to clean facilities several times throughout the day as you have trusted us to do through the years. We are focusing our attention on cleaning touch point surfaces, door handles, railings and other surfaces that residents encounter frequently. Our cleaning agent is hospital-grade and is consistent with guidelines from the CDC for controlling the spread of viruses.”

As information about the virus continues to evolve, RCSC officials are prepared to make changes as necessary, according to Ms. Higgins.

Senior living facilities

With a senior living facility in the Seattle area affected with as many as 13 deaths due to COVID-19, down in Sun City, Arizona, multiple senior facilities are ramping up their protocols when it comes to the virus.

Among them, Royal Oaks, north of Grand and 99^th avenues, says it is fully committed to safeguarding the health and wellness of its residents and staff and will adhere to several steps to minimize the risk of illness in its community.

“This policy is not to cause panic, but to be very strategic in the coming weeks of how we can stay safe and minimize illness,” according to a Royal Oaks policy that was rolled out on Thursday. “It is also the personal responsibility of the residents and employees in our community to self-monitor and report symptoms to our Wellness Center or to their health care provider in a timely manner. Everyone must be vigilant in maintaining best practices in handwashing and social etiquette to minimize the risk of infection.”

“No Visitors” signs will be posted in Assisted Living areas, and only essential health, medical and services providers will be allowed entrance. Residents in other areas can’t visit unless approved by a manager.

Visitors to Independent Living residents only must be symptom free 14 days prior to the visit and must live in Arizona, no visitors from out of state. IL residents are being asked to cancel any group gatherings they have previously scheduled to come to Royal Oaks for the next 30 days or until further notice.

Staff is also limiting eating spaces and outside appointments that aren’t medically necessary. Also, all individual and group entertainers off site, as well as resident volunteer groups at Royal Oaks, are not to visit the assisted living areas.

Residents who are identified to have symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath will be isolated in their room/apartment, and their provided will be called to report the symptoms and request further instruction.

Staff will also self-monitor for any symptoms associated with COVID-19.

Vendors, contractors and visitors will be asked if they have had any of the symptoms within the past 14 days.

With similar policies in place, Atria Heritage Sun City, north of Bell Road and 99th Avenue, is also working in its residents' best interests.

“The health and well-being of Atria residents and employees is our first priority," stated Mike Gentry, Senior Vice President Care, Atria Senior Living. "Beyond following all recommended guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we are taking additional precautions to ensure our residents and employees stay safe."

That includes postponing or canceling events where three or more visitors might enter an Atria community and canceling all excursions to public gathering places, such as grocery stores, religious services, shopping malls and theaters.

Those who have traveled abroad in the last 14 days, those who have been diagnosed with or directly exposed to anyone diagnosed with COVID-19, or those who share a household with someone in either of these two categories will not be permitted to enter an Atria community.

Statewide emergency

Gov. Doug Ducey late Wednesday hosted a press conference with Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ to declare a public health emergency.

The governor said the declaration and an accompanying executive order were aimed at protecting those at greatest risk to the outbreak, which had affected 9 in Arizona at that point.

“While Arizona is not currently facing the number of case we’ve seen in some other states, we are anticipating additional positive cases and we’re not taking any chances,” Ducey stated, according to an Associated Press report. “This is about public health and saving lives, especially those of our elderly and most vulnerable.”

Among the measures announced by the governor were waiving license requirements for some health facilities and streamlining the process for health officials to procure medical supplies. His executive order puts in place new rules for nursing homes, including limitations on who can visit and when, while requiring insurers to cover all costs of virus testing.

While the state has little capacity for virus testing, big private labs, like Lab Corp and Sonora Quest, can provide assessments with a doctor’s order for patients who meet the CDC guidelines, the AP reported.

As of Thursday afternoon, school officials in districts across the Valley  — many of which are already scheduled for spring break over the next week  — had yet to announce any closures or class cancelations.

But university officials acted Wednesday, announcing many coeds will be working from home for now.

“Although there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at ASU at this time, we know that many members of the ASU community have been traveling this week during spring break to parts of the country and world where there may be community spread of COVID-19. As a precaution, we have made the decision to transition in-person classes to online instruction wherever possible,” officials stated at ASU’s website: asu.edu.

RELATED: Arizona colleges moving online amid COVID-19 concerns

Effective Monday, March 16 all in-person classes will transition to online instruction, where possible, for at least two weeks. After that, officials will assess the situation.

University facilities  — such as campus housing, computer labs, food service, health clinics, counseling services and research labs  — will remain open for now, while public events will go on as scheduled.

West Valley schools

On Thursday, March 12, Mr. Ducey, Dr. Christ, and Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman joined together to brief superintendents, school leaders and educational organizations on the state’s latest efforts to respond to the global COVID-19 outbreak, and take their questions. Currently, public health officials are not recommending school closures.

RELATED: No widespread Arizona school closures planned for virus

The Dysart Unified School District, which mainly serves Surprise and El Mirage, on March 12 said it is suspending all high school and middle-level athletic games, all arts performance events, and assemblies through March 27 to reduce social interactions.

All district-sponsored student or staff travel (in and out-of-state), including field trips, is suspended until further notice. And, as a precaution, DUSD will not allow non-essential campus visitors beyond the front office. This includes volunteers.

City officials in Peoria and Peoria Unified School District officials have released statements proclaiming they will continue to monitor the ever-evolving situation regarding coronavirus and its level of risk to schools and community.

Peoria spokeswoman Jennifer Stein said no city events have been canceled.

She said patrons and staff are encouraged to wash their hands frequently, avoid close contact with sick individuals, avoid touching their faces, use a disposable tissue for coughing or sneezing and follow guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, any staff or patrons who are feeling ill or showing symptoms of any flu or virus should stay home and contact a healthcare provider, she said. “The city is in regular communication with local, county and state health organizations. We will continue to follow all health and safety protocols currently in place as well maintain our focus on cleaning high traffic/commonly handled surfaces at all our facilities.”

All official PUSD school and district events are also moving forward as planned, including travel, athletics and graduation.

PUSD spokeswoman Danielle Airey said that at the Peoria Arts & Cultural Festival, March 28, hand sanitation stations and extra wipes to disinfect common surfaces, instruments and craft areas will be available. As always, parents are welcome to opt out of any district or school sponsored event if it is not to their comfort level, she said.

PUSD officials recently assembled a task force to ensure continuity of operations should the district need to heighten its response to the spread of COVID-19 or any other infectious diseases, Ms. Airey said.

“Their work is to ensure our preparedness as a district,” she said. “We are staying in constant contact with Arizona Department of Health Services and regularly receiving information from the CDC, and we are using these updates to inform our decisions. Should we receive information that indicates a need to enact our emergency preparedness plans or make adjustments to how we run schools, we will respond accordingly and communicate with our community.”

In Litchfield park, where students have been on break through this week, officials had not issued a press release about the virus.

Litchfield Elementary School District, Agua Fria High School District and Buckeye Union High School District officials, who were on spring break until Monday, could not be reached for comment.

LESD Superintendent Jodi L. Gunning posted a message to district families March 4, telling them school officials recognized parents’ concerns about COVID-19.

“Please know that, in partnership with public health authorities, we are closely monitoring the spread of this infectious disease,” Ms. Gunning wrote. “Know that our school district is taking precautions inside our classrooms and cafeterias, in order to ensure a health learning environment for your children, such as disinfecting of learning, eating and play spaces, as well as encouraging our staff to take proper preventative measures.”

AFHSD’s website had no new information beyond a Feb. 28 Maricopa County Department of Public Health letter recommending those wanting the latest information on the virus in Arizona visit maricopa.gov/coronavirus.

Some area municipal officials signaled public events in their West Valley communities will go on as planned until further notice.

“Litchfield Park recreation and city events will continue as scheduled,” Assistant City Manager Matthew Williams said in an email Thursday morning. “City staff is preparing emergency contingency plans should they be needed. The city of Litchfield will inform its citizens if the situation changes.”

In the meantime, Mr. Williams advised residents to follow best practices such as frequent handwashing and staying home if they’re sick.

City of Goodyear spokeswoman Corinne Holliday said in an email Thursday morning the city was evaluating the status of events and programs and would inform residents of any cancellations or closures.

Ms. Holliday had no further information.

Out of stock

Stores around the southwest Valley had varying degrees of product availability Thursday as shoppers stocked up on things like toilet paper and other paper products, water and other items.

At a Walmart in Avondale, several customers who braved an early-morning downpour found completely bare shelves on the toilet paper aisle, and a limited number of paper towels, facial tissues, disinfectants, bleach, cleaning supplies and bottled water.

 “They said they’re going to stock at 2 p.m.” a customer who was looking for toilet paper and water said. “I’m going to try Fry’s.”

A clerk who answered the phone at 2:30 p.m. said the toilet paper shelves hadn’t been stocked yet and wasn’t sure if they would be stocked.

Customers at Bashas’ in Litchfield Park had more choices Thursday; with only a few empty spots in the paper product, disinfectant, cleaning and water aisles.

Like many stores around the West Valley, signs on the shelves at both stores informed customers of purchase limits.

Some companies, like Fry’s parent company, Kroger, sent emails detailing steps they were taking to keep customers safe and shelves stocked.

“We activated our preparedness plan weeks ago, and we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation,” Kroger told customers via email Thursday. “We took the precautionary step on March 2 to limit the number of cold, flu and sanitary products per order…  so everyone can have access to the items they need.”

The email also stated the grocery chain is cleaning commonly used areas such as cashier stations, self-checkouts, food service counters, shelves and restrooms more often.

For more information about COVID-19 or tips on how to stay healthy, visit the CDC and website at cdc.gov.

Independent Newsmedia reporters Kelly O'Sullivan, Rusty Bradshaw, Philip Haldiman and Chris Caraveo contributed to this story.