Supervisors approve mandatory curfew in Pima County

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - On Tuesday, Dec. 14, the Pima County Board of Supervisors called an emergency meeting where they approved a mandatory countywide curfew by a 3-2 vote.

The mandatory curfew will begin Wednesday [Dec. 15], and will remain in effect daily from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning. On Nov. 24, the board asked residents to adhere to a voluntary curfew in the hopes of curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

However, since the Thanksgiving holidays, officials say more than 15,000 people have tested positive and 93 have died in Pima County alone.

During that same November meeting, the board also put in place new measures for businesses to follow. According to a news release, between Dec. 12 and Dec. 13, county health and safety code inspectors conducted observations of more than 400 establishments. They found more than 15 percent of businesses were not following the county’s voluntary curfew or the City of Tucson’s mandatory curfew.

The board did not give a hard deadline for the curfew, however, stated the positivity rate in the county must drop to 100 cases per every 100,000 residents for 7 days.

As of the Dec. 15 update from the Arizona Department of Health Services, Pima County has a positivity rate of 1,200 cases per every 100,000 residents.

On Dec. 4, the board of supervisors mandated everyone in the county wear a face mask. Those who fail to follow the law may receive a $50 fine, businesses that don’t require employees or patrons to wear face masks could be fined $500.

To enforce the curfew, the Board authorized the County Health Department to suspend or revoke county-issued operating permits or licenses.