A nationwide pandemic regarding everyone’s only vocabulary word, “Coronavirus,” is at its prime, but this so-called “Corona-cation” doesn’t apply to everyone. While Illinois is under complete government control, almost an entire ghost town is just scraping the surface when describing the outcome. While the Midwest is taking the hardest hit, the western coast is not as affected. 

As a new Arizona resident, the pandemic makes adjusting to the higher temperatures of the 70’s and 80’s much easier. With only twenty-seven confirmed cases in the entire state as of March 17th, Arizonans are newly grateful for regular temperatures that are unfriendly to viruses, almost causing this to skip over the state. 

“I think it is absolutely insane that we are experiencing such a pandemic, but it doesn’t surprise me that people are reacting the way they are,” said Carol Cambridge, current Arizona resident. “I just think that the insanity regarding the necessity for toilet paper is almost too much to handle.” 

While toilet paper, bottled water, and hand sanitizer are the largest missing items, let’s address the fact of only 27 confirmed cases, out of the entire state of Arizona. While states like Illinois, for example, are in the upwards of 422 people as of March 17th and climbing. While calling for a state of emergency to contain the virus, businesses are finding themselves laying off employees and already searching for loans from the bank in order to stay open if this shutdown lasts longer than anticipated. 

On the other hand, students are required to finish classes online and most campuses are closed around the nation. Arizona State University is having students finish out the spring semester online. Princeton University in New Jersey is hosting virtual classes with a ban on students stepping foot on campus. Finally, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) is closed for the rest of the spring semester, transferring all students online. The rapid spread of the virus is dangerous enough for entire cities to be shut down. 

Las Vegas is taking the hardest hit with having to close all casinos, restaurants, and bars in order to help with the control. 

Arizona resident and personal mentor, Aimee McCall states, “I understand the closing of everything in Vegas, but I fear for the business in those areas that are tourist-dependent,” and continues, “It’s a shame that places that are so dense with populations are now turning into ghost towns.” 

According to azfamily.com, the leading news source for the state of Arizona, “Many Phoenix area-based businesses are either switching to takeout or strictly customer order pickups. Any business that is open for regular hours will receive a police-issued citation” on March 17th. 

Keeping in mind the positive aspects of containing the virus, as a former Starbucks barista, I am finding myself out of a job due to businesses being either takeout or not wanting to hire new workers amid the pandemic. McCall, like many professionals, is also feeling a direct impact on her work life.

“With all of my work travels canceled, I have absolutely nothing to be completing,” McCall said. “My job just got harder.” 

As someone who travels the world for Captive Resources, LLC, the company she works for,  nine domestic and nine international trips a year are just prefacing the complexity of her job. As the face for the risk control branch of the company, safety is just one of her expertise subjects. 

“As someone who is surrounded by thoughts of safety, I understand why everything is shut down. Granted, I absolutely despise calling hotels to cancel, (but) it makes sense that (my groups) are being told to stay home. The company doesn’t want to be held liable if something were to happen on our watch,” McCall said. 

While Arizona is one of the states with the lowest number of cases, students are still being held accountable to socially distance themselves and businesses must remain closed. While the government aims to completely control the virus, people often despise power, leaving the trust up to the people. 

All in all, toilet paper and hand sanitizer sales are at their peak, but no amount of rubbing alcohol and specially cut paper can stop the spread of this virus. While Arizona has a lower number of cases, there is still a possibility of contracting. While the heat is currently in our favor, students, parents, and food-industry workers are forced to stay in social isolation in order to aid in containing this virus.