Arizona governor closes bars, gyms, and movie theaters for a month as coronavirus cases in the state rise

• Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said bars, gyms, movie theaters, waterparks, and tubing rentals will shut down for 30 days, as coronavirus cases continue to soar in the state. 
• The measure is meant to help ease the strain on the state's healthcare system. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced on Monday a set of new measures to curb the recent surge of coronavirus cases in the state, including closing gyms, bars, movie theaters, and other businesses.

Effective at 8:00 p.m. tonight, we are instituting a month-long pause on the operations of bars, gyms, movie theaters, waterparks and tubing rentals. This will help relieve stress on our health care system and give time for new transmissions to slow. 2/

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) June 29, 2020

Ducey said in a Twitter post that bars, gyms, movie theaters, waterparks, and tubing rentals would close for the next 30 days starting Monday at 8:00 p.m. local time.

"Effective today, organized events of more than 50 people are prohibited. Arizonans should celebrate the 4th of July responsibly this weekend, including by staying home, avoiding larger gatherings, and wearing a mask if you do go out," Ducey wrote in a tweet.

Arizona currently has over 74,000 coronavirus cases. 

Business Insider previously reported that Banner Health, the largest hospital system in the state, announced earlier this month that cases were on the rise after the state reopened on May 15. 

Marjorie Bessel, the health system's chief clinical officer and COVID-19 lead, told Business Insider's Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer that the health system is managing almost half of the hospitalized coronavirus patients. 

According to The Washington Post, hospitalizations are also continuing to rise and currently stand at 30% more than on Sunday. 

"Arizona is the new national hotspot for COVID-19 with more than 4,400 new cases in just the last 72 hours. Per capita, Arizona's infection rate is now more than three times higher than New York state. It's spreading like wildfire.,"  Rep. Greg Stanton said earlier this month. 

Ducey also announced that the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control will stop issuing special event licenses from June 29 to July 27, and events that have more than 50 people are banned starting on June 29. 

Today's actions follow recent steps to boost diagnostic testing, including expanding rapid testing; amplify contact tracing; fund additional PPE for long-term care settings; and enhance guidance for establishments to limit congregating and enforce mitigation policies. 7/

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) June 29, 2020

"We must be clear-eyed. The next few weeks will be hard. But these steps combined with stepped-up compliance with public health guidance can make a difference, and we're grateful to Arizonans for their cooperation. Stay home. Wear a mask. Be responsible," Ducey wrote. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Inside London during COVID-19 lockdown

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3g7s7ZF
https://ift.tt/2NDbVDh