This flu season has hit Arizona hard.
The latest numbersfrom the Maricopa County Department of Public Health show there have been more than 11,000 cases of the flu confirmed here since the season began in October.
Throughout that season public health officials here have been trying to hammer home the message that, in order to stop the spread of illness, there are a few, important things to do.
Will Humble is the executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association. He said a law that Arizonans passed last year — Proposition 206 — made it a lot easier for some workers to take sick leave.
Arizona voters approved Prop 206 last year, which approved a minimum wage increase for Arizonans to $10.50 an hour this year, and $12 by 2020.
Now, there have been several challenges to this law.
The business community has said it will hurt business owners. A bill being considered in the state Legislature right now would ask to undo much of Prop. 206.
But paid sick time is important when it comes to the public health point of view, according to Humble.
For a broader look at this year’s flu season, and how it’s affected our public health care system, is Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine.
Sunenshine is the medical director for Disease Control at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
