Arizona Governor extends stay-at-home order but allows some businesses to re-open

Some businesses could open as soon as Monday

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on Wednesday extended his stay-at-home order through May 15, but said he would lift part of the state's business shutdown.

Ducey said the spread of the virus across the state seems to have slowed. However, he also noted there's no clear sign death and new cases are on a downward trend.

The Governor said he'll allow some retail businesses to re-open Monday with more openings planned by the end of next week. Ducey expects to allow restaurants to partially reopen in about two-weeks.

Read full text of Governor's latest Executive Order here

The mayors of Arizona's three largest cities released a statement prior to the Governor's announcement urging him to exercise restraint. They think the re-opening is coming too soon. Mayors Kate Gallego, of Phoenix, Regina Romero, of Tucson, and Coral Evans, of Flagstaff, called on the Governor to abide by CDC guidelines and proceed with extreme caution.

"We’ve seen other communities who have reopened too soon and paid the price in both public health and with a second economic shut down.  We do not want that to happen in Arizona. Increasing testing and using that data collected to track our progress against CDC guidelines provides the safest route forward as we navigate these unchartered waters."

Statement to Gov. Ducey from Mayors Gallego, Romero & Evans

The mayors said they applaud Ducey's efforts to expand statewide testing, but they fear re-opening the state before test results come back could lead to a new spike in cases.

Late this afternoon the President and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry praised the governor's actions. In a statement, Glenn Hamer writes:

“Today’s announcement by Gov. Ducey is another example of his administration continuing to curb the spread of Covid-19, but also taking prudent steps to reopen the Arizona economy in a safe, responsible way. Today’s announcement builds on last week’s welcome news that elective surgeries can resume on May 1.

The revisions put forth by the governor breathe needed oxygen into our retail sector. Stores that sell essential goods have proven already that they can operate safely, and we look forward to more retailers doing the same.

We’ve also seen that restaurants can creatively and safely continue to operate, albeit in a modified way. We anticipate that the forthcoming guidance on dine-in restaurants will provide a needed shot of adrenaline into that important sector of the economy."

Statement from Glenn Hamer, President and CEO, Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry