Ducey to extend ban on evictions in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona renters dreading the expiration of a coronavirus-related moratorium on evictions will get a reprieve, Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday.

The governor announced that the ban on residential evictions would be extended to Oct. 31 and said there would be more funding for housing assistance programs for both renters and homeowners.

Arizona’s 120-day order was due to end July 22. It was supposed to ensure people wouldn’t lose their homes if they got COVID-19 or lost their jobs during pandemic restrictions. But advocates argued it’s too early to end the ban because most of the government money set aside to help pay rents and mortgages still hasn’t been doled out.

To stave off eviction, tenants will have to show proof that they were affected by the pandemic or took steps to contain the spread of the virus. Starting Aug. 21, they will also have to show they have applied for rental assistance.

The news comes as the daily number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona held steady for a second day, state health officials reported.

Ducey said the possible flattening of the curve should be viewed with caution.

“There will be no victory laps,” he said. “What we can take from here is knowledge of what a difference we can make in the COVID-19 pandemic in our state, in our country for the foreseeable future.”

Arizona tallied another 3,259 confirmed cases, only two more cases than reported the previous day and below record days where the count reached almost 5,000. The latest number of additional deaths came out to 58. The number of hospitalizations, ICU bed occupancy and ventilator use for COVID-19 patients also changed little. Hospital capacity statewide was reported to be around 89%.

In total, Arizona has seen more than 134,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,492 related deaths. However, the number of cases could be far higher because many people have not been tested, and some can be infected without feeling sick.

Ducey again avoided pressure to impose more aggressive regulations to control the spread of the virus, such as a statewide mask mandate or fully closing restaurants. He has allowed mayors and county leaders to mandate masks, but he has declined to issue a statewide order. He has capped indoor restaurant dining at half the capacity allowed by the fire marshal — a limitation many restaurants had already self-imposed.

Ducey said he’s ignoring criticism from those who say he is restricting their freedoms and from those who say he’s not doing enough.

“It won’t be very popular, but I know in my heart it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

In other developments:

— The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office, which has already received four large portable storage coolers to handle future surges of coronavirus cases, has ordered another 10 coolers, which are expected to arrive by the end of next week.

The agency’s regular morgue storage was 63% full Thursday. Officials say none of the portable coolers — described as wheel-less storage containers with refrigeration units — have yet to be put into operation. With the 14 coolers, the county will be able to handle another 293 bodies.

Marcy Flanagan, executive director of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, said many funeral homes in the county are at maximum capacity and unable to accept additional bodies.

While about 100 of the county’s 1,311 deaths have been handled by the medical examiner’s office, the agency is still seeing an annual surge in heat-related deaths and an increase in the overall number of deaths, which officials have been unable to explain, officials said.

Robert Rowley, director of the Maricopa County Emergency Management Department, said the county has been planning for the possibility to accept bodies in case hospitals run out of storage space, adding though that such an arrangement isn’t currently needed.

“If there is a hiccup anywhere along in the process, we are planning on what we can do to fill in those gaps and make sure everything is taken care of,” Rowley said.

Ducey said he would wait till next week to give an update on schools reopening. Schools are expected to start in some capacity by Aug. 17.

Teachers and school staff across the state have called for delays until the number of COVID-19 cases decreases. The governor has been in continuing discussions with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman and school leaders.

— Individual professors at the University of Arizona will decide whether to teach their fall classes in person, remotely or in a hybrid fashion, university President Robert Robbins said Thursday. Many faculty members have health concerns for themselves or others in their families, he added. The fall semester begins Aug. 24.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.