June 18, 2020
Courtesy City of Scottsdale
Scottsdale Issues Emergency Proclamation
Given the rise in COVID-19 cases throughout Maricopa County, Scottsdale Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane has issued an emergency proclamation that requires people to cover their nose and mouth in most public areas except for individuals or small groups in parks or for outdoor exercise when physical distancing can be maintained.
“We cannot afford another shutdown of businesses or restaurants,” said Mayor Lane. “So we need each individual to make responsible decisions for the sake of our entire community – wear your mask when out in public.”
Scottsdale Emergency Proclamation
Scottsdale’s emergency proclamation goes into effect at 5 p.m. Friday, June 19. The proclamation requires people to cover nose and mouth within all public accommodations within the city, which includes grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants and bars, gyms and similar facilities, retail stores, special events and public transit. Businesses that interact with the public must require employees to wear face coverings as well.
“I recognize completely the intrusive nature of this directive. I understand the resistance that many have to the loss of your personal freedom to choose how you respond and react during this health crisis. In this emergency, however, like any other, we have a civic responsibility to act and sometimes accept actions that are important for recovery. As hospitalization utilization continues to rise and trend toward threatening levels it becomes imperative to slow the contagion rate – and wearing masks is a simple step recommended by public health experts.” said Mayor Lane.
“We cannot ignore the numbers as COVID-19 cases mount. As government we are balancing the need to act for the sake of communitywide public health, while also allowing as much personal freedom as we can.”
Exceptions are allowed including for children under 5, those persons engaged in religious services and those that per CDC guidance should not wear face coverings due to health conditions. Read the proclamation here to see the full list of exceptions.
Individuals will be given an opportunity to comply with the proclamation before any enforcement action is taken. Continued failure to comply with an emergency proclamation is a class one misdemeanor.
In addition to the mask regulation, Scottsdale’s emergency order also encourages establishments that allow for the consumption of alcohol on their premises to limit their occupancy to 50 percent to allow for better social distancing.
According to Maricopa County Public Health, there is increasing evidence that covering one’s nose and mouth prevents individuals from spreading the virus, and also helps prevent them from contracting it. Learn more here
“Few people like wearing a mask, but it’s a simple and easy thing to do, for a relatively short period of time, to help our community get through this. No matter what government does, our ultimate success or failure is a shared endeavor that depends largely on each individual doing their part.”
Kelly Corsette | Communications & Public Affairs Director
City of Scottsdale | Office of Communication
480-312-2336 | kcorsette@ScottsdaleAZ.gov
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