McSally says Ducey doing ‘good job’ with Arizona’s COVID-19 response

PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona said Tuesday she has no problem with the way Gov. Doug Ducey is handling the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The governor is doing a good job with his team — of looking at the science and getting advice and providing that information out to people,” she said of her fellow Republican during an interview on KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.

Ducey’s stay-at-home executive order went into effect Tuesday at 5 p.m., but he encouraged picking up takeout meals and outdoor activity as long as social distancing measures were followed.

“Some of it is directive, but also some of it is making sure we, as a free society, all do the right thing,” McSally said.

Fellow Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, has offered a different opinion about Ducey’s decisions, saying she thinks he should be doing more to protect citizens from the virus.

Sinema and other critics have said the stay-at-home order should be more restrictive and business such as hair and nail salons should be excluded from the governor’s list of “essential services.”

McSally, however, said Ducey’s order was based on the advice of those who know best.

“He’s got public health officials, epidemiologists, that are advising him every day, just like you see Dr. (Anthony) Faucci and Dr. (Deborah) Birx on the national level,” McSally said.

“You don’t need a government order for you to follow the federal guidance and the state guidance to stay at home, to stay away from people.”

The Arizona Department of Health reported 124 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday morning and five more deaths. That brought the state totals to 1,413 cases and 29 fatalities.

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