PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced $2 million of additional funding Tuesday to restaurants in order to continue expanding outdoor dining space and to slow the spread of coronavirus.

“Arizona restaurant owners and their employees have worked diligently to serve patrons and limit the spread of COVID-19,” Ducey said in a press release.

“Many restaurants have utilized outdoor dining to welcome more customers while maintaining safety, and we want to make sure our local restaurants have the opportunity to expand their outdoor seating.”

Last month, Ducey signed an executive order allowing restaurants to extend their patio areas into public space temporarily with the intent of safely spacing out customers.

He also previously allocated $1 million through the Safest Outside Restaurant Assistance Program for items such as outdoor furniture, barriers, patio heaters and more to enhance outdoor dining areas.

Out of more than 250 restaurants that applied, 114 of them received up to $10,000, according to the governor’s office.

The additional funding will continue to provide grants to establishments that meet certain requirements including employing fewer than 50 full-time employees and operating under rules given in COVID-19 executive orders.

As the coronavirus continues to spike around the state, data has revealed Arizona ranks first in the United States for the average daily coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to Monday’s data, Arizona has averaged 121.8 daily cases per 100,000 people in the last week. That number is nearly double the national average of 64.7 cases per capita.