Yuma County Officials: Phases to reopen Yuma’s Economy

YUMA, Ariz. ( KYMA, KECY ) - Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced last week that the stay-at-home order will be extended until mid-May. However, he did implement new reopening dates for multiple businesses across the state.

Gov. Ducey stated that all barbershops and salons can reopen on May 8th. As for the dine-in restaurants, services can resume on May 11th.

As counties work to get the economy back up Reyes said the approach is more complex than what people think. “We need to make sure that the state is allowed to open and second we need to make sure they can do it as safely as possible," said Reyes.

Ducey emphasized that all businesses must follow strict CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of all staff members and customers.

Businesses will have to follow rules depending on what they sell and the capacity of the the place it operates in. This to ensure the safety of employees and customers. “If you have a store that is like 500 square feet, you’ll need to divide that by the number of people that be in there establishing 6 feet," said Reyes.

However, Reyes said he is aware of the concerns that remain from the community. Like is it too soon to reopen? Or will cases of coronavirus continue to increase after this? He stressed that more testing sites will help determine quickly who is sick and better trace people to isolate them.

“We are still in that upward trend in less than 2 weeks ago, and in my perspective, I don’t feel confident we’re past the peak," said Reyes.

News 11 asked Reyes if the county or hospital are prepared if a surge in cases were to happen as 15 people are hospitalized and there are over 100 confirmed cases in the county. He believes the hospital is more than ready, at least for now.

“I don’t think the state would allow them to do so if they weren’t ready to handle a huge number of cases and have the equipment necessary," said Reyes.