09 Apr What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Regulations in Phoenix-Maricopa County
The entire country, and the globe, has come to a halting stop in response to the current health crisis. By now we know that social distancing is the new norm and we may be cooped up in our homes for the next several weeks or months. As the virus continues to spread, guidance from the government has slowly evolved to adapt to our new reality.
The Origin of COVID-19 in Arizona
The first diagnosed case of COVID-19 in Arizona was in late-January of this year. A man in the Arizona State University community had recently returned from what we now know as the epidemics birthplace, Wuhan, China. Fortunately, he is reported to have recovered from the illness.
Since then, the confirmed number of cases in Arizona, particularly Maricopa County, have continued to increase. As of April 9th, the total number of cases in Arizona has surpassed 3,000. More than 1,600 of those cases are in Maricopa County Alone.
Official State Government Mandates & Actions
A lot is rapidly changing in our world over the last two months. Here are a few of the official government mandates and what you need to know about following them.
Public Health Emergency
On March 12th, Governor Doug Ducey declared a public health emergency in the State of Arizona. According to the City of Phoenix website, “The declaration allows the state to use emergency funding and it also gives state health officials the authority to procure needed medical supplies with the expectation of more cases.”
Extended Tax Deadlines
On March 20th, along with the Federal Government extension of the federal tax deadline, Arizona passed legislation to extend the state income tax deadline to July 15, 2020.
Schools Closed Through End of School Year
As of March 30, Governor Ducey and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Kathy Hoffman, announced that Arizona would extend its state-wide school closures through the end of the school year. We will have to keep our eye on how the spread of the virus either progresses or begins to slow down. If your child is in need of meals, child care or special education considerations, you can visit azed.gov for more information.
Executive Order to Stay at Home
On March 31st, Governor Ducey also announced the State of Arizona would follow CDC guidance and issued an Executive Order for all individuals to stay-at-home. According to his website, under the Executive Order, Arizonans shall limit their time away from their place of residence or property, except:
- To conduct or participate in essential activities, and/or;
- For employment, to volunteer or participate in essential functions; or
- To utilize any services or products provided by essential business services;
- And for employment, if as a sole proprietor or family-owned business, work is conducted in a separate office space from your home and the business is not open to serve the public.
What is allowed under this Executive Order?
Governor Ducey’s office has gone through some effort to explain what things are still permitted in light of the stay-at-home order. Here are a few:
- Engaging in outdoor activities, such as walking, hiking, running, biking or golfing, but only if appropriate physical distancing practices are used.
- Attending work at and essential business or conducting essential services.
- Engaging in constitutionally protected activities such as speech and religion, the democratic process to include voting any legal or court process provided that such is conducted in a manner that provides appropriate physical distancing to the extent feasible.
For a full list of government actions, you can visit this site.
Defense Attorney in Pheonix
These are uncertain times and many questions are still left unanswered. What you can be certain about is that Todd Coolidge is here to represent your criminal case should you be in need of a defense attorney in Phoenix. Schedule your free consultation today.
Photo by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash (4/9/2020)