But the cityâs decision came with a stiff warning.
Mesa Mayor John Giles said he was initially inclined to close the fields after Dr. Marjorie Bessel, chief health officer of Banner Health, told him that intensive care units are filling up with COVID-19 patients at an alarming rate.
âThe quote I remember was, âwe are going to be crushed,ââ Giles said, with Bessel predicting double-bunking as a necessary evil when hospitals reach 150 percent of capacity within the next two months.
But Giles reversed course and recommended that City Council approve a compromise approach engineered by Marc Garcia, president and CEO of Visit Mesa, as a lifeline to Mesaâs beleaguered hospitality industry.