By L. Parsons Arizona Governor Dough Ducey held a press conference last Tuesday, April 9, where he announced four additional executive orders to help combat the COVID-19 outbreak. One is in an effort to protect the elderly and most vulnerable. It outlines procedures for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. “The CDC has announced guidelines that include conducting symptom checks of anyone entering a facility and equipping staff with personal protective equipment (PPE) to the greatest extent possible. My order ensures Arizona nursing homes and long-term care facilities are adhering to these guidelines,” Ducey said. He noted that the order also requires these facilities to provide an electronic visual form of communication like FaceTime or Skype to allow family members access to their loved ones. The next executive order addresses reporting from medical providers. “We want detailed information about COVID-19 patients, including how many patients are in ICU beds,” stated Ducey. Arizona Director of Health Services Dr. Cara Christ added, “More data is now allowed to be collected. That includes how many intubations per day, the number of COVID-19 positives in hospitals, in ICU, in emergency departments and those that have been discharged. This data will allow us to better prepare for our peak in cases and hospital demand. The Arizona Department of Health Services website will be updated daily to include additional location information as well as and new tabs that will contain information regarding deaths, supplies distributed around the state and our enhanced surveillance data.” Ducey also issued an executive order to prevent further community spread from other states or regions with widespread cases. Following CDC recommendations on travel advisories, Ducey said, “Anyone flying in from Connecticut, New York or New Jersey will need to self-quarantine for 14 days. Our department of health services will be working with airports to make sure travelers are made aware of these requirements upon arrival.” Ducey’s next order provides flexibility on packaging and labeling rules for restaurants. “Many restaurants have unused commodities, food and otherwise, that can be sold to generate more revenue to pay the bills and help cover payroll. This order gives them the ability to sell additional goods to the public.” He also signed an executive order putting a stop to evictions of small businesses and nonprofits facing hardship due to COVID-19. “Many landlords are already working with their tenants and this order is an added measure of support for small business and nonprofits serving Arizona.” Ducey also mentioned that he has secured a deal with Honeywell in which they will manufacture six million N95 masks in the next 12 months. He has also ordered the Arizona Department of Transportation to allow trucks with heavier loads to operate without an overweight permit, “In order to keep our supply chain strong,” he said. “My heart goes out to all of those affected by this virus. We want to make sure every Arizonan gets the care, comfort and information they need to get through this and recover. Social distancing is making an impact and we need to keep it up.”
