City of Mesa

A portrait of Mesa Mayor John Giles.

The Phoenix City Council hesitated Wednesday to put its stamp of approval on Mayor Kate Gallego’s declaration of a state of emergency.

On Tuesday, Gallego declared the emergency and ordered all bars to close and restaurants to stop dine-in service.

But that declaration must be ratified by the City Council and the mayor might not have the support of enough council members to make that happen. On Wednesday, council members delayed voting on that measure until Friday.

Mayors around the Valley and state are taking similar measures, though Gov. Doug Ducey told reporters this week he was not enacting the same restrictions statewide.

Tucson and Flagstaff also ordered restrictions on restaurants and bars. It remains unclear if Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell will force businesses to close there after the city declared a state of emergency last night.

In Glendale, the mayor declared a state of emergency last night as well and is asking bars and restaurants to move to delivery or institute appropriate social distancing measures. He’s also asking seniors over the age of 70 to self-quarantine to protect themselves.

The Show turns to Mesa Mayor John Giles. That city has closed public facilities and canceled events, and is encouraging local businesses to abide by federal recommendations and maintain social distancing. The city will not shut off utilities during the state of emergency.

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