Still No Statewide Mask Mandates from Doug Ducey but Kelli Ward can Shut the Hell Up

Governor Doug Ducey and his team made some news at their December 2, 2020, COVID 19 Press Briefing.

With COVID 19 cases and fatalities rising, Coronavirus Positivity Rates at 15 percent, and hospitalizations nearing capacity limits, the Governor:

• Still did not announce his intention to do a statewide mask mandate. Instead, he continued to contend that his approach of promoting mask-wearing, encouraging social distancing, warning against large public social gatherings, requiring spacing at facilities like gyms, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, and water parks, and giving local mayors the power to control mask-wearing in their cities and towns was a more prudent mitigation strategy than statewide remedies, citing that 91 percent of Arizona Residents were under local mask-wearing requirements.

 

• Announced some small measures on penalizing businesses who ignore mitigation strategies with closure after two violations, requiring public notification of large gatherings along with the approved mitigation measures at the event, and allowing restaurants to expand outdoor dining on sidewalks and right of way areas.

 

• Announced along with Dr. Cara Crist that the first shipment of approximately 100,000 vaccines should arrive by December 15 and the same number should arrive week after week afterward until everyone in the state is vaccinated. Vaccines would be free and health workers, teachers, and the most vulnerable would receive the first medications. The Governor said that he would wait his turn to receive his vaccine and would not jump ahead of anyone in line.

 

• Announced that an additional $60 million in hospital staffing (including 500 Nurses and paying those more in care) would be appropriated. This new health care staff would come from out of state.

 

• Disagreed with the decision of the Mayor and City Council of Tucson to impose a three-week curfew. The Governor said, “I believe we should focus on accountability and enforcing the rules we have now rather than measures like curfews and shutting down industries.” The Governor then seemed to indicate that Tucson Mayor Regina Romero had not contacted him to discuss the measure and he would leave it to attorneys to sort the situation out. In response to comments on the Governors contentions, Mayor Romero said that “As our city attorney articulated at last night’s council meeting, we are acting within our authority to protect public welfare.” Furthermore, Romero’s Communications Director Myriam Cruz, when asked about contact between the Mayor and Governor, conveyed that “the Mayor’s Chief of Staff reached out to Juan Ciscomani, Governor Ducey’s Senior Advisor for Regional and International Affairs, on Monday at 8:58am to request a meeting with the Governor. Ciscomani returned the call around 12pm letting her know the Governor was unavailable.”

 

• Said they really had no control of private large gatherings and hoped the people that attend them would use common sense public health safety measures.

 

• The Governor expressed his views that lockdowns are not the right policy just before the holidays with currently inadequate socio-economic assistance measures. Mr. Ducey alluded that if there was a lockdown, there would be increases in domestic violence, child abuse, depression, and suicides.

The Governor also took some questions on Donald Trump’s phone call during the Certification Ceremony. Mr. Ducey would not give details of the conversation he had with Trump after the ceremony but did say the President did not ask him not to sign the certification documents (Of course not. He already signed them when he called Trump back.)

Mr. Ducey also displayed scorn at the Republicans like Mark Finchem and Party Chairperson Kelli Ward for claiming the election was rigged. He told them that if they had the evidence backing their claims, then they should take them to court in the time allowed after the certification process.

He also said the feelings towards Ms. Ward were mutual when asked by a reporter about her wanting the Governor “To shut the hell up.” He also called on her to “practice what she preaches.”

The Governor ended the conference by offering condolences to the families of those who have fallen to the COVID 19 Pandemic and again calling on Arizonans to wear masks, social distance, and avoid large gatherings.

While the news Mr. Ducey announced is welcoming, it would have been beneficial to Arizonans if he had announced a statewide mask-wearing mandate and a more coordinated plan to combat the Coronavirus.