Gov. Ducey: Elective surgeries can resume on May 1 in Arizona if certain requirements are met

Gov. Ducey: Elective surgeries can resume on May 1 in Arizona if they can meet certain requirements

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that hospitals and outpatient surgical centers can resume elective surgery on May 1, so long as they have adequate personal protective equipment.

PHOENIX - Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced that hospitals and outpatient surgical centers can resume elective surgery on May 1, so long as they have adequate personal protective equipment.

Gov. Ducey made the announcement during a news conference. In a separate statement released to media outlets during the news conference, officials with the Governor's Office say hospitals, dental offices, and other health facilities can resume elective surgeries if they can demonstrate that they have implemented measures that can keep health care workers and patients safe, including:

Demonstrating a supply of personal protective equipment that can last more than 14 days
Adequate staffing and beds
Testing patients prior to surgery and all at-risk health care workers
Ensuring appropriate discharger plans for patients being transferred to nursing care facilities, including COVID-19 diagnostic testing
Implementing universal symptom screening process for staff, patients and visitors
Establishing enhanced cleaning process for waiting areas
Prioritizing the restart of elective surgeries, based on urgency

Facilities that meet the standards will need to receive approval from the Arizona Department of Health Services before resuming those surgeries.

Elective surgeries were suspended by an executive order that was issued by Gov. Ducey in March.

Gov. Ducey speaks out on stay-at-home order as expiration looms

During the news conference, Gov. Ducey also talked about the stay-at-home order, with the governor only saying the stay-at-home order will remain in effect, with more to follow.

Since 5:00 p.m. on March 31, Arizona has been under a stay-at-home order that is officially titled as a "Stay home, Stay healthy, Stay connected" policy.

The order asks Arizonans to limited their time away from their home, and also listed a number of exempted activities. In addition, a number of business categories are considered to be essential, such as gas stations, grocery stores. Meanwhile, barbers, salons, spas, and massage parlors have been ordered to close on April 4.

The stay-at-home order is in effect until April 30.

In previous tweets Gov. Ducey made to his Twitter page, he said he wants to get the economy moving and people back to work when it is safe and healthy for people to do so.

"Slowing the spread of #COVID19 remains our number one focus," Gov. Ducey tweeted.

In recent days, there have been protests in Arizona against the stay-at-home order, with protesters gathering at the State Capitol on Sunday and Monday demanding that restrictions stemming from the pandemic be ended. There are similar protests in other states as well.

FOX 10 is working to keep you up to date with local and national developments on COVID-19. Every weekday on FOX News Now, our live coverage begins at 7 a.m. MST reporting the latest news, prevention tips and treatment information.

You can watch live in your FOX 10 News app or on the FOX 10 Facebook page.

Get the latest coronavirus news by downloading the FOX 10 News App. Our promise is that our alerts are there to inform you - not scare you.

You can also get the latest coronavirus news from around the country at coronavirusnow.com.

Additional resources

LIVE: Interactive Coronavirus case data and map

FULL COVERAGE: fox10phoenix.com/coronavirus

Coronavirus (COVID-19) - How it spreads, symptoms, prevention, treatment, FAQ

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

https://espanol.cdc.gov/enes/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html (In Spanish/En Español)

Arizona COVID-19 Response - Public resources, FAQ, webinars

https://www.azdhs.gov/coronavirus

https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/infectious-disease-epidemiology/es/covid-19/index.php#novel-coronavirus-home (In Spanish/En Español)

In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.