TUCSON, Ariz. - Tucson Mayor Regina Romero is applauding Gov. Doug Ducey's decision to extend Arizona's stay-at-home order through May 15.
Romero called it a "difficult but necessary" decision to keep Arizona safe. Still, Romero offered criticism of Gov. Ducey's decision to force statewide rules on social distancing to pre-empt any decisions by city and county leaders.
RELATED: Ducey to modify, extend stay-at-home order in Arizona
Here is Romero's full statement:
“I am encouraged by Governor Ducey’s extension of his ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected’ Executive Order and applaud his measured approach. These are difficult but necessary decisions that no elected official relishes making.”
"Every day that our local businesses remain closed and our workers without jobs pains me. I am as eager as anyone to begin gradually re-opening our economy, however we must do so in a manner that is safe and consistent with the advice of public health experts. It is critical that a phased-in re-opening follows the guidelines established by the CDC, and locally by the Pima County Health Department [webcms.pima.gov]. To date, Arizona and Pima County have not met this criteria."
“Given that the Executive Order pre-empts municipalities from taking action at the local level, I would highly advise Governor Ducey to seek the input of Mayors and local elected officials who are on the frontlines of this pandemic. I look forward to working with Governor Ducey to promote the safety and well-being of Arizonans during these difficult times.”
A little more than an hour before Ducey's announcement, Romero and Pima County Board of Supervisors interman chairman Ramon Valadez released a joint statement pushing the governor to extend statewide social distancing restrictions:
"Pima County and the City of Tucson are united in our concern on relaxing restrictions and opening up our economy at this time. We encourage Governor Ducey to give counties and local jurisdictions the flexibility to act at the regional level if he does not want to extend his 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected' executive order statewide."
"The CDC’s guidelines on 'Opening Up America Again' clearly state that Governors have the discretion to allow local jurisdictions to act at the regional level. The Pima County Health Department has issued guidelines based off CDC recommendations on when it is safe to begin a phased re-opening, including a decline of positive cases over 14 consecutive days, widespread testing, and sufficient PPE for first responders and healthcare workers. We urge great caution in any relaxation."