Phoenix Keeps its Mask Mandate

Mayor Kate Gallego and the Phoenix City Council, after consulting their legal counsel, have decided to retain their local mask mandate.

Issuing a statement after the decision, Mayor Gallego said:

“I stand with the majority of the Phoenix City Council who agree that the governor’s unilateral decision to order cities to abandon mask requirements is a case of significant government overreach. The governor’s authority is not without limits.

The governor’s order has caused tremendous confusion, particularly for local businesses. I’ve spoken to many business owners who want to do the right thing but don’t know why they have to do it alone. They’ve been pushed into the position of having to defend their masking policies with no help or backup from local government. That is wrong.

My job, and that of the duly elected members of the Phoenix City Council, is to do what they believe is right for the people of Phoenix. A majority of the council believes, as I do, that protecting public health must come first. Every aspect of our economic recovery depends on defeating this virus. Every credible health expert, including the CDC, has confirmed that masks are the best technique for staying ahead of COVID-19, and are the best and fastest way to fully reopen and recover. Even Dr. Deborah Birx, the previous federal administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, pointed to Arizona as an example of the effectiveness of masking.

The decisions we’ve made in Phoenix to protect public health have worked.

We are so close to being on the other side of this pandemic. By staying diligent, we will get through this together.”

With this decision, the City of Phoenix joins Tucson and Flagstaff as the only Arizona cities that have fully retained their local mask mandates.

Pima County has as well.

Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Maricopa County, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, and Tempe still require the wearing of masks in public government facilities.