Arizona cities split on mask mandates to slow virus spread
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s decision to let local governments mandate face masks in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus amid a surge is leading to a patchwork of requirements around the state — the very thing Ducey wanted to avoid.
But it looks like most Arizonans — those in large parts of metro Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff — will be required to wear face masks until the infection rate drops significantly.
Mayors in those cities are working through executive orders or city council votes. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero signed her order Thursday. Action in Phoenix could come Friday.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said she's working with nearby cities for consistency.
“I’m concerned many people in our community thought we’d defeated it and that life was going back to normal,” Gallego said Thursday. “As I’ve been talking about requirements for face coverings, it’s given me an opportunity to share the statistics in Arizona and the alarming trend.”
Public health officials also are alarmed. Arizona had the highest per capita rate of new infections over a seven-day average this week. The positive rate of people tested for the virus also topped all other U.S. states at nearly 16%.
And Arizona’s number of COVID-19 cases jumped again Thursday, breaking a daily record set earlier this week. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 2,519 new cases and 32 additional deaths, bringing the state’s total to 43,443 with 1,271 deaths.
Ducey's Wednesday order allowing cities and counties to decide on masks came after he rejected calls for a statewide requirement. The Republican governor insisted for months on consistency across Arizona, preventing local governments from setting their own rules.
He also recognized the...