Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has lifted COVID-19-related occupancy restrictions throughout Arizona as of 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 5.
Ducey’s office said “The announcement follows seven weeks of declining cases in Arizona, and the distribution of more than 2 million vaccines.”
The following changes are reflected in a new Executive Order from Governor Ducey:
- For businesses, physical distancing will remain in place, however specific occupancy percentage limitations will expire. This applies to restaurants, gyms, theaters, water parks, bowling alleys, and bars providing dine in services.
- Ducey never imposed any statewide mask mandate, instead delegating that authority to town councils, city councils and county boards of supervisors. Despite that lack of a statewide order, Ducey’s office said “mask protocols will remain in place.”
- Spring Training and Major League Sports will have the ability to operate upon submission and approval of a plan to the Arizona Department of Health Services that demonstrates implementation of safety precautions and physical distancing.
- Per Ducey, “Mayors and local entities will still be precluded from implementing extreme measures that shut down businesses.”
“We’ve learned a lot over the past year,” Ducey stated in a press release. “Our businesses have done an excellent job at responding to this pandemic in a safe and responsible way. We will always admire the sacrifice they and their employees have made and their vigilance to protect against the virus.
“Unlike other states, we never did a shutdown here in Arizona. We withstood the calls from the extremes on both sides, and we will continue to ignore them. We always knew that fighting this virus would be dependent on the personal responsibility of everyday Arizonans.
“Like the rest of the country, Arizona has made its way out of the winter surge of cases. And we are leading the nation in the vaccination roll out. Our mitigation strategies have been targeted and data driven.”
