Phoenix mayor: Arizona is not meeting criteria to reopen May 1
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced Friday that Arizona does not meet the criteria to reopen on May 1. She says there are several things needed before this can happen.
“In order for us to meet these metrics, we need more widespread testing, including asymptomatic individuals, and more robust contact-tracing program,” said the mayor on Twitter.
She also tweeted that opening up the economy too soon could lead to problems. “Restarting the economy too soon after COVID-19 is perhaps more disastrous than waiting — it is not a switch to be turned on and off,” tweeted Gallego.
As she emphasized how much she wants to restart the economy in Phoenix, Gallego says it needs to be done the right way.
“The pull to reopen our economy in a post-COVID world is understandably strong. I, too, want to help our business community and return to some semblance of normalcy,” said Gallego in a released statement. “However, any restart needs to be led by the advice of medical professionals.”
On Twitter, the mayor said the White House released guidelines for reopening the economy. She believes they should be followed in Arizona. Those guidelines include gateway criteria with a tiered approach. Gallego backs the scientific metrics attached to each tier. They include:
- A downward trend of cases with influenza and COVID symptoms based on strong public health surveillance.
- A downward trend of documented COVID cases within a 14-day period based on strong testing programs.
- Adequate hospital capacity with robust COVID testing programs in place for healthcare workers.
