Partial retail re-opening set for Monday; dine-in restaurant plan coming

It has been 30 days since Arizonans were asked to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic and non-essential businesses tightened their belts. Today, Gov. Doug Ducey announced the gradual lifting of some of the state’s strictest measures in May.

The “Stay Home” policy is extended through May 15 as are travel restriction regarding New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Read the new executive order here

Ducey said there will be a partial reopening of retail May 4, which will be expanded May 8. That is voluntary and physical distancing must be available for employees. The limited opening Monday would included appointment-based services  with limited occupancy, curbside pickup and delivery. The May 8 openings will involve “strict physical distancing requirements,” and must follow CDC guidelines such as reduced occupancy, comprehensive sanitation protocols and options for curbside or delivery.

Mayor Christian Price said there are still a lot of unanswered questions about exactly what retailers will be affected. “I know he’s trying to find a balance,” Price said,

The governor said a plan for the reopening of dine-in facilities of restaurant may be announced next week. He said any plan may go into effect “sometime in May,” with a possible date of May 12, an idea he called aspirational.

Instead of creating a new normal, Ducey said he wants to create a “temporary normal” as the economy slowly reopens.

There are still restrictions against large gatherings.

Pat Kieny, owner of Native Grill and Wings in Maricopa, said the governor’s message was good news.

“For the short term, it is good,” he said by phone as the governor continued to answer media questions at the news conference.

Even if the governor re-opens dine-in restaurants with social distance restrictions on May 15, Kieny said he won’t be rushing back, but taking a measured approach.

“We want to do something when we are ready,” he said. “It makes good business sense.”

Still, Native has been working on a 15-20 page “re-opening playbook” via conference calls three times a week, Kieny said. He expects to have re-opening protocol, including checklists for social distancing and hygienic practices, in place by May 8. He thinks a 50% seating capacity is likely.

Kieny, who owns two Native locations, said the early weeks of transforming his restaurant into a takeout and curbside delivery restaurant was “rough,” but is now a good system. He expects the return to dine-in to follow a similar pattern.

Kieny said he had 55 employees before the onset of the pandemic, but just 20-some are needed right now.

“There’s a good 20-30 jobs waiting to be refilled,” he said.

One Maricopa dentist, Dr. Tin H. Nguyen of Smiley Dental, said he was encouraged by the governor’s announcement, but planning on a May 6 re-opening, not Monday.

“It’s a first step to getting back to being somewhat normal,” he said, shortly after Ducey cleared the way for appointment-based services to reopen with limited occupancy. “I think it will be a long time to get back to where we were.”

Nguyen said it may take a coronavirus vaccine to achieve that.

When he does re-open, Nguyen said his practice will be following CDC guidelines, with proper social distancing and hand sanitizer for patients. He and other dental staff will wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including N95 face masks and gloves. In addition, staff will frequently sanitize door handles and other places touched by patients.

When Ducey declared a state of emergency March 11, there were nine confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Arizona, two in Pinal County.

When he announced a “Stay Home” policy for non-essential workers March 30, reported statewide cases were at 1,200, with 24 deaths connected to COVID-19.

There are now 7,202 confirmed cases and 304 attributed deaths.

Since the peak day of April 20, when 380 new cases were announced, the daily number of new cases has been decreasing. But Ducey pointed out the past four or five days reporting of numbers is lagging behind. He there is no trend indicated by the numbers.

Ducey said many facets of the economy never shut down. Several big-box stores have remained open, but mid-size and small businesses could not stay open. That is why he wanted to start the opening of other retail next week.

Price said the City may look at some of its own closures, such as the dog park at Copper Sky, given that most residents have become better informed at what social distancing means.

“I think we would be totally amenable to relooking at some of those things,” Price said.

What the City does not want to do is anything that “flies in the face” of the “Stay Home” executive order while awaiting the exact wording of the new order from the governor’s office.

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Bob McGovern contributed to the reporting of this story.