MOHAVE COUNTY – Businesses in Mohave County still shuttered due to the coronavirus could be allowed to re-open next Thursday, September 3. That was one of the highlights of Thursday’s Mohave County Board of Supervisors COVID-19 management meeting.
Department of Public Health Director Denise Burley and local state representative Leo Biasiucci told the Board that the county has enjoyed one week in the “moderate” category for rate of case positivity. One week more in that same range, under 10%, is required for the county to reach the benchmark where gyms, restaurants and some other closed enterprises can reopen under modified operational guidelines and restrictions.
“It’s exciting to say that we’re moving forward and we’re going in the direction that we need to go,” Biasiucci said. “Hopefully, next Thursday we’ll be at the same level and our businesses will be able to open and we can move forward in trying to get back to normal.”
Burley announced during Thursday’s meeting that mass inmate testing will be occurring at the privately operated state prison in Golden Valley.
“There will be 3,300 inmates tested over the weekend,” Burley said. “These cases are reported back to our county if there are positive cases.”
County Manager Sam Elters suggested that the county lobby the state to exclude test numbers from the prison since it is privately operated and outside county control. He expressed concern that inclusion of test numbers from the prison, assuming the possibility of numerous coronavirus cases, could unfairly push the county case positivity rate out of the moderate benchmark, prohibiting re-openings next Thursday.
The Board voted to have Elters communicate the county position to state officials. Biasiucci said he would support that initiative feeling it unfair that infected inmates could keep businesses from re-opening locally.
Burley said 37 of the 40 people who tested in Lake Havasu City last weekend were negative, two were positive and one was pending. Supervisor Hildy Angius said she was told that about 100 people registered for testing North Country Health Care scheduled Friday morning in Bullhead City.
Burley provided location information for mass testing events that Health and Human Services (HHS) will be conducting in each of the county’s three primary municipalities next month. She said testing in the Bullhead City police department parking lot will occur between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. on September 10 and 12.
Kingman testing will be conducted at the Mohave County Fairgrounds between 7:00 and 11:00 a.m. on September 11 and 12. Lake Havasu testing at the Aquatic Center is scheduled September 13 and 14, between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m.
Burley said pre-registration is required but that HHS has not yet established the online link to do so. She said the public will be advised when that information becomes available.
Supervisor Hildy Angius encouraged county residents to test, believing results will help lower case positivity to help the county open and stay open for business. As many as 1,000 tests can be administered in each of the cities.
- Dave Hawkins
