San Luis Mayor Gerardo Sánchez personally justifies reinstating mask mandate

CBS 13's April Hettinger sits down with the mayor who cites his own COVID hospitalization experience

SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Gov. Doug Ducey doesn't allow city-wide mask mandates in Arizona; however, there's nothing stopping cities from requiring masks in their own facilities.

San Luis Mayor Gerardo Sanchez was hospitalized last year for more than three weeks after contracting COVID-19. That's why he's now requiring people in city buildings to mask up, so they don't go through the same thing he did.

"I also treat patients directly with COVID, and I actually had COVID. I was in the hospital for 22 days, so this is personal," Mayor Sanchez stated. "This is something that, I do not want anyone to go through this."

Mayor Sanchez is also a physician who witnesses firsthand the severeness of the Delta variant at Yuma Regional Medical Center in San Luis.

They’ve already lost one city employee to COVID who was a part of the University of Arizona COVID wastewater detection crew.

"We only have one fire department," Mayor Sanchez said. "We only have one police department, and the thing is, if they get infected, what's going to happen to my community?"

This proclamation went into effect Monday and will remain in effect until the mayor feels the community's health is no longer at risk.

Just two days ago, COVID was detected in four areas through wastewater testing.

Mayor Sanchez sites seven reasons why we need to bring the face coverings back into everyday lifestyles.

This month, Yuma County moved into a range of high risk of COVID-19 spreading quickly. Additionally, he says the Delta variant is 40-60% more contagious than other strands of the virus.

The City of San Luis is, so far, the only city in Yuma County who has reinstated the mask mandate.

Meanwhile, the City of Yuma says in quote:

"At this time, the City has no plans for requiring face coverings again, but we continue to follow public health guidelines and will review and assess those as they change and develop."

City of Yuma

However, they do encourage vaccines, just like the San Luis Mayor.

"I'm always promoting get vaccinated. Do your part," Mayor Sanchez explained. "We're not taking away your rights by wearing a mask. Do we take away your rights by enforcing you to wear a seatbelt? No. It's for your safety, for our safety."

Back in March 2020, Mayor Gerardo Sanchez was the first mayor in our area to declare a state of emergency due to the COVID threat.