Tucson Mayor Regina Romero was joined by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans in asking Gov. Doug Ducey Wednesday afternoon to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines when considering when to re-open.
The joint statement was issued less than an hour before Ducey is scheduled to speak at a press conference with other state officials regarding his stay-home order, which is set to expire at the end of the day tomorrow.
The three mayors said they have received no guidance from Ducey’s office with just over one day left on the order—and urged the governor to adhere to the guidelines established by the CDC and the federal government.
“The state must be able to provide clear data showing that we have achieved a 14-day decline in COVID cases before the economy begins to reopen,” the statement reads.
The federal government’s “Opening Up America Again” program includes a list of criteria states need to meet before beginning to reopen, including a downward trajectory of influenza-like and COVID-19 cases for two weeks, having “robust testing” in place and a sufficient supply of PPE.
The joint statement also gives credit to Ducey for expanding testing to greater segments of the population, as that data will be “critical in determining our ability to safely reopen the economy without unnecessary imperiling the lives of our residents.”
“We are all eager to reopen the economy as soon as it is safe to do so,” the statement reads. “We again ask the governor to work closely with cities on COVID resiliency efforts. Our cities’ first responders are tasked with carrying out any statewide executive orders and the more time they have to prepare the better chance we have to keep our police, fire, and residents safe and healthy.”
Gov. Ducey is expected to deliver remarks alongside the Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ and Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs Director Major General Michael T. McGuire at 3 p.m. and provide an update on the state’s actions in response to COVID-19.