Arizona Senate minority leader wants Ducey to close clubs, take other actions

PHOENIX — The highest ranking Democrat in the Arizona Senate isn’t satisfied with Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s latest response to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state.

Senate Minority Leader David Bradley said in a press release Thursday he wants Ducey to shut down night clubs, enforce face coverings and social distancing at any large-scale gathering and “substantially increase testing to effectively implement contact tracing.”

Bradley is also asking the governor for a commitment from the state that there will be adequate and ongoing supplies of personal protective equipment for first responders and schools.

“I was heartened today to hear the governor take a truly somber tone in regards to Arizona’s COVID-19 crisis, rather than simply reaffirm that there are enough hospital beds for sick Arizonans,” Bradley said in the release, referring to Ducey’s coronavirus briefing Thursday.

“Although the governor’s press conference had a more serious perspective, he failed to take more dramatic actions that would dramatically slow the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona. Arizona has been in the national spotlight as one of the new COVID-19 hotspots.”

The Arizona health department reported 3,428 new coronavirus cases with 45 additional deaths on Friday morning.

Those metrics bring the state’s case total to 66,458 and death toll to 1,535.

“We are not close to reaching the end of this pandemic and we must listen to the science, and mitigate until we can medicate,” Bradley said.

“The numbers are not going down, and to that end, we must take more significant actions.”

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