PHOENIX — More than 1,000 medical professionals have signed a letter urging Governor Doug Ducey to reenact a “shelter in place” and close places like bars and nightclubs.
The letter also urges Governor Ducey to make masks a mandate across the state and to enforce the order.
As of Monday, 1,588 deaths have been confirmed in Arizona due to the coronavirus. 74,533 confirmed cases have been reported in the state.
RELATED: Breakdown of latest Arizona coronavirus statistics
Governor Ducey said during a Thursday news conference that "Arizona is on pause" as health officials expect to see more spikes in coronavirus cases in the coming weeks.
Ducey again issued a plea to the public to follow social distancing guidelines, avoid crowds, and always wear a mask in public. However, he stopped short of issuing any additional policy change related to enforcing safety precautions.
The letter, which was reportedly sent to the governor's office via email Monday, calls for several additional actions from Ducey:
"Our best chance of reducing the death toll is to reinstate the shelter-in-place order. We, the undersigned, urge you to take the following actions:
1. Re-enact the shelter-in-place order AND enforce it
2. Close bars and nightclubs
3. Limit restaurants to take-out only and require transparency regarding employees testing positive for Covid-19 Page 2 of 82
4. Mandate masks statewide and communicate concrete consequences for those refusing to wear masks in public; these individuals, whether they believe it or not, are potentially exposing others to a deadly disease. It can no longer be a choice- the lives of many depend upon the cooperation of the few.
5. Increase testing capacity
6. Expand contact tracing
7. Enforce quarantine for those with suspected or confirmed Covid-19; this is a public health emergency, and as such, the health departments have the authority to do so."
The governor is expected to hold a press conference Monday afternoon around 3 p.m. to address the latest efforts to fight coronavirus in the state. It's unclear if he will address the call for a new shelter in place order.
Bookmark this page to watch the live press conference at 3 p.m., or tune in to ABC15 on-air, or on our streaming apps and Facebook page.