MOHAVE COUNTY – Supervisors Hildy Angius and Ron Gould expressed angst Monday that Mohave County isn’t doing more to map out plans to reopen the local economy to be prepared once Governor Doug Ducey eases restrictions imposed to prevent spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Are we waiting for the Governor to say something or do we take the lead? What are we doing?” Angius asked during Tuesday’s special board meeting on coronavirus management matters. “People are asking ‘what are they doing?’ I feel very, very frustrated.”
Angius drew support from Gould.
“I think it’s essential that we begin to plan to reopen up the county. Americans and Arizonans are free people and they’re not going to tolerate being locked down much longer. And in reality, with the invasion of Californians, I don’t believe that Mohave Countians (sic) sitting in their houses while Californians run around our towns is really going to keep the virus from spreading,” Gould said. “We better start planning how are we going to handle the restaurants, how are we going to handle other types of businesses because we need to open this up and get back to work.”
Board Chairman Jean Bishop responded that the Governor has outlined some preliminary plans to ease restrictions. But she and Department of Public Health Director Denise Burley said officials need better data on testing and patient infection trends before formal plans can be made.
“I think that’s a huge mistake,” Angius said. “We have to start talking about our plan now on reopening so people have clarity in their lives.”
Supervisor Gary Watson asked if it might be possible to ease restrictions in Lake Havasu and Bullhead City while leaving them in place in Kingman, where more than half of the county infection cases trace. Bishop notes residents of some communities feel restrictions should be lifted where they live.
“They believe they have no cases in Dolan Springs and they want their VFW, their American Legion and their churches to be open and I think there’s been some similar concerns with the Meadview community as well,” Bishop said, before circling back to the possible benefit of consistency and uniformity.
“Each community is an individual community with their own personality and their own needs and desires, but as a county I think we need to stand united,” Bishop said. “I don’t think we can take Bullhead City and Lake Havasu City out of the equation and keep Kingman as an individual entity for different regulations for opening up the economy.”
- Dave Hawkins
If there are still cases is it wise to put all the rest of the people at risk. I live in golden valley and and my family have not left since this whole thing started l dont want to get sick because. Im not well anyway im not wanting to die for anyone
If there are still cases is it wise to put all the rest of the people at risk. I live in golden valley and and my family have not left since this whole thing started l dont want to get sick because. Im not well anyway im not wanting to die for anyone
Why isn’t Kingman being tested I have tried but no testing is what I can told. If Kingman was tested it would help a lot to get people to listen. I have to be very careful due to medical conditions. I would like to get tested. I wear mask but when I have to go out no one is wearing a mask and Kingman looks like it did before covid 19 Corona virus this town has already opened up people everywhere. Going to the lake no one staying 6 feet apart going to parks. Kingman needs to tell us where and when we can be tested.
Why isn’t Kingman being tested I have tried but no testing is what I can told. If Kingman was tested it would help a lot to get people to listen. I have to be very careful due to medical conditions. I would like to get tested. I wear mask but when I have to go out no one is wearing a mask and Kingman looks like it did before covid 19 Corona virus this town has already opened up people everywhere. Going to the lake no one staying 6 feet apart going to parks. Kingman needs to tell us where and when we can be tested.