PHOENIX β Gov. Doug Ducey expects that Arizonans will need to continue to wear masks through at least the end of the year.
And forget about going to a bar, at least for the foreseeable future.
βWe do know that those are places to congregate,β said Daniel Scarpinato, the governorβs chief of staff told Capitol Media Services on Wednesday. βAnd the last thing that will open in this atmosphere will be areas that result in congregation.β
Those assessments come as there are the first inklings that Arizona may finally be on the right track in trying to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Researchers say whatβs called the stateβs R-naught number is once again below 1.0.
That value is the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. If that number is above 1.0, the virus will spread; values below that indicate it will stop spreading.
On Wednesday, the figure was 0.97.
Arizona actually got its infection rate below even that figure during the governorβs stay-at-home order and his restrictions on business. But after those were lifted, it rose to 1.25.
This isnβt the only positive sign.
New figures from the Department of Health Services show the number of patients in hospitals with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 appears to be leveling off. And there was the largest one-day drop in the number of patients in intensive-care units.
All that occurred after Ducey gave local governments permission to impose mask requirements and after he reversed course and once again shuttered bars, movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers, imposed stricter limits on in-house dining at restaurants, and limited crowds to no more than 50, effectively precluding spectators at sporting events.
But Scarpinato said Arizonans should not see the latest bid of good news as an indication that these restrictions will disappear anytime soon.
βThe virus continues to be widespread,β he said.
βWhat we donβt want is for anyone to think that because there might be some leveling off or because that R-naught number has dropped, that means that we can let up or that means you donβt have to wear a mask any more.β Scarpinato said. βIt means that those policies are working and weβre going to have to continue doing it for the foreseeable future at least through the end of the year and probably beyond.β
That starts with masks. Put simply, he said, wearing a mask is βpart of the new normal in Arizona.β
Scarpinato pointed out that Arizona is headed into flu season.
What that means is trying to ensure the state has sufficient doses of this yearβs version of the vaccine. It also means trying to convince more Arizonans than the 30 to 40% who get the annual inoculation that they should participate.
All that, Scarpinato said, is related back to COVID-19.
βThe flu season stresses our hospitals to begin with,β he said. βSo to have that happening at the same time as the coronavirus could create stress.β
And thereβs something else.
βGuess what? All the mitigation strategies that are in place for the coronavirus also happen to help prevent the spread of the flu β which also does take lives,β Scarpinato said. βSo wearing masks, socially distancing, staying home, not having opportunities for people to congregate like in a bar or at major events or large events, all of those things will help on both fronts.β
That, for the time being, means that bars are going to stay closed.
βWhat weβre trying to do is create as much sustainable kind of steady policies for the business community as possible so theyβve got some predictability and weβre not having to change the rules on them every week or every two weeks or every month,β Scarpinato said. βRight now, given our cases and given the advice of public health we know there are a few things that just canβt be opened right now, bars being one of them.β
Does the governor believe there is a safe way of reopening bars?
βNot at this time,β Scarpinato said.
He said the governorβs office is having discussions with business owners, asking them what measures they can put in place to create a safe environment. Those talks, he said, include public health officials who can say which of these suggestions work and which do not.
That also includes gyms and fitness centers which are supposed to remain closed, at least through July 27.
βWe want to see what their vision of opening would look like,β Scarpinato said.
Photos: Tucsonans Don Masks to help curb Coronavirus