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Gov. Doug Ducey gives a press conference on Dec. 16, 2020.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has issued a new executive order that lifts pandemic occupancy limits on businesses.
Under the executive order, occupancy percentage limitations will expire for businesses such as restaurants, gyms, theaters and bars.
Dr. Cara Christ, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said the risk of this action should be low since physical distancing and mask wearing protocols for businesses still remain in place.
“As long as people are maintaining that 6 feet of distance and wearing masks at all times except when actively eating or drinking we felt with the current community transmission that would reduce occupancy requirements,” she said.
Gov. Doug Ducey/Facebook
Gove. Doug Ducey gets a COVID-19 vaccine from Dr. Cara Christ on March 2, 2021, at the State Farm Stadium vaccine site in Glendale.
State health services are reporting 1,284 new cases of COVID-19 and 29 new deaths from COVID-related illnesses March 3. To date, 16,089 residents have died since the beginning of the pandemic.
Gov. Doug Ducey received a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine March 2 as appointments began for Arizonans between 55 and 65 years old. The governor is 56. The shot was administered by Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ.
Gov. Ducey did not inform media outlets that he was getting his shot, but a local TV affiliate happened to be present when he showed up. This follows news last week that former president Donald Trump and his wife received vaccinations in January, in near secrecy.
A bid to recall Doug Ducey has come up short.
Adam Halleck, chairman of the group dubbed Accountable Arizona, told Capitol Media Services on Tuesday that circulators have collected only about 150,000 signatures in the effort that began in September. That is far short of the 594,111 valid signatures needed on petitions by Jan. 16 to force a special election.
Halleck said the campaign was in some ways a victim of the very thing that triggered the recall: Ducey s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said people were fearful about risking infection to go out to the places where petitions were available for signing. And Halleck said more aggressive approaches to get names on petitions made no sense.
Gov. Doug Ducey gives a press conference on Dec. 16, 2020.
COVID-19 continues to spread out of control in Arizona. ICU beds in the state are at 91% capacity and health care leaders continue to call for policy action to prevent a hospital crisis.
But in a news conference Wednesday, Gov. Doug Ducey announced no new mitigation measures to combat COVID-19 in Arizona. Ducey said it’s up to local jurisdictions to enforce the measures that are already in place. He emphasized personal responsibility and said individuals need to do their part to limit social gatherings.
“I don’t know what role you think the government can have in private home settings, that’s why we’re trying to educate the public on the best possible policies and protocols,” Ducey told reporters.