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PHOENIX – The governor’s office announced Thursday afternoon that Governor Doug Ducey has canceled three of his executive orders related to elective surgeries in hospitals and COVID-19 safety protocols in long-term care facilities.
In April 2020, Governor Ducey issued an executive order that allowed hospitals, dental offices and other medical providers to resume certain elective procedures as long as they received approval from the Arizona Department of Health Services and could maintain COVID-19 security procedures.
This order requiring ADHS approval has been rescinded.
Governor Ducey also rescinded another executive order from April that required long-term care facilities to follow CDC guidelines regarding the pandemic, such as checking for symptoms, wearing protective gear. individual, and to have electronic communications for people if they are in person. visits were limited.
It is always up to each facility or business to decide whether and when to allow in-person visits to their locations.
In recent weeks, Governor Ducey has also lifted restrictions on restaurant and business capacity, as well as requirements to wear masks and maintain social distancing, citing the increase in COVID-19 vaccinations and a decrease positive cases for COVID-19.
“With nearly three and a half million doses of vaccine administered across Arizona, we are on track to fight the pandemic and get back to normal,” Governor Ducey said in a statement. “At the start of the pandemic, we took the necessary measures to protect vulnerable populations and all Arizonans. Today the vaccine is widely distributed and we have a much better understanding of the virus than before. I am grateful to the hospitals, healthcare professionals and long-term care facilities who have made the safety of Arizonans a priority, and look forward to reducing measures that are no longer needed.
Ducey’s order on Thursday gives hospitals the flexibility to conduct elective surgeries.
He said the state can now also help facilitate additional visits as well as off-site visits for residents of long-term care facilities without the need to quarantine upon their return.
Arizona reported Thursday that the number of people who received at least one dose of the vaccine exceeded 30% of the state’s population.
The number of COVID-19 cases is dropping around Arizona.
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