Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced Arizona’s version of a “stay-at-home” order at 2 pm on March 30, 2020. The order follows a letter from the Department of Health Services Director Cara Christ recommending enhanced physical distancing measures based on the latest data from her epidemiologists, and following President Trump’s announcement yesterday that federal distancing guidelines are being extended until April 30.
The Governor’s order is titled “Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected,” and unique to Arizona, includes a strong focus on mental health. The order encourages Arizonans to participate in outdoor activities, as long as they are accompanied by social distancing measures. Additionally, it stresses the need for “social connectedness” — a concern of public health officials, especially among our senior population and those struggling with depression and suicide.
The exact new order can be found here – https://azgovernor.gov/sites/default/files/eo_2020-18_stay_home_stay_healthy_stay_connected_1.0.pdf.
The order exempts essential business, outlined in a previous Executive Order last Monday from the Governor, as well as essential activities, which includes outdoor activities. Note that it does seem to cover all construction; the exact language used is “construction (including, but not limited to, construction, construction of long-term care facilities, public works construction, and housing construction); building management and maintenance; landscape management …”
The order takes effect Tuesday, March 31 at 5 pm and is in effect until April 30.
All of the Executive Orders can be found at https://azgovernor.gov/executive-orders
Finally, we encourage all of you to share the Executive Order and, equally as important, share the mental health messages with your employees and networks.
Feel free to reach out to Cheryl Lombard, President & CEO, Valley Partnership at clombard@valleypartnership.org with questions about how this applies to the real estate development industry.
