During Uncertainty, Arizona Proactively Ensures Essential Services Will Continue

Image courtesy of Gage Skidmore, via Flickr.

As states, counties and cities across the country order all nonessential workers to stay home, confusion among businesses and employees followed in trying to understand who was included in these directives. But in Arizona, we are taking a different approach.

As jurisdictions across the country scramble to inform businesses if they are considered essential after issuing orders to “stay at home” and inadvertently shutting down critical industries, Arizona is making sure businesses have clarity before any potential future action is taken. 

While Arizona has not issued a statewide “shelter-in-place” or “stay-at-home” order, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday provided certainty to businesses, employees and families across the state by proactively defining essential services and workers through an Executive Order. 

Arizona’s Executive Order takes a holistic approach, ensuring no services are negatively impacted that are critical to combating the COVID-19 pandemic and that are essential to the health, safety and welfare of our residents. This model approach ensures there is no interruption to essential operations, including manufacturing and supply chains that are more critical now than ever.     

What does this mean for your business? If your business is included, it means any future action taken by individual localities or the state will not shut down your critical operations. 

As unemployment rises to record levels and Congress gets ready to pass the largest relief package in history, it is imperative that we do not completely shut down all remaining economic activity. This order ensures essential commercial activity that can safely operate will continue, at a time our state desperately needs.

While this action brings needed clarity during this uncertain time, one priority remains consistent, as individuals and business we all have a responsibility to do our part, which includes maximum compliance with the CDC guidelines for social distancing to protect public health and slow the spread.

Courtney Coolidge is vice president of government affairs for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry