Good afternoon, Tucson. I’m Mayor Regina Romero here with your Monday updates.

 According to public health experts, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have skyrocketed as a direct result of the rush to re-open.

I am urging Governor Ducey to remove the restrictions he has placed on local governments from taking their own public health measures. For example, I believe that face masks  should be mandatory in areas of the state with high community transmission for indoor spaces where social distancing is not feasible. Governor Ducey needs to untie the hands of local governments and allow us to make decisions that are in the best interest of our communities and account for local conditions. 

The MOST important thing we can do for our economy to recover is to slow the spread and rebuild consumer confidence. That will NOT happen if COVID19 goes unmitigated and people do not feel safe out in public. The bottom line is that the longer we take to slow the spread, the longer and more severe the blow to our economy will be.

We, as individuals, have a moral obligation to our fellow Tucsonans to help slow the spread by following CDC guidelines, wearing a face covering  in public, practicing strong social distancing , and frequently washing our hands. This week could be an inflection point for our city and our state. PLEASE, stay vigilante and continue to protect your families and friends. 

On a separate  note, I want to take a moment to thank the firefighters who have been working day and night to contain the Bighorn wildfire. Thank you for keeping us safe. 

For information on the resources mentioned today, please see the links in the video description. 

Remember, WEAR A FACE COVERING. SLOW THE SPREAD. SAVE LIVES.

Somos uno Tucson, I’ll talk to you soon.