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Gov. Ducey defends lack of Arizona lockdown

Ducey March 23
Office of the Arizona Governor/YouTube
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey speaks in a March 23 update about the state's COVID-19 response.
Gov. Ducey defends lack of Arizona lockdown

Arizona's governor says a "shelter in place" order is not needed yet in Arizona, even though many other cities and states across the country have adopted them to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

By one count, 13 states have put residents under stay-at-home orders or closed businesses deemed nonessential, but Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey isn't willing to follow suit just yet.

Ducey announced at a [Monday news conference](

he's issuing an executive order defining which businesses are considered essential, but stopping short of ordering the non-essential ones to shut their doors for the duration of the pandemic. "I am following the guidelines of the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. We have been hand and glove and in lockstep since March 11 and will continue to be that way," Ducey said.

Ducey's comments came as the Arizona Legislature adjourned until mid-April after passing a barebones budget that grants $50 million to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Steve Jess is AZPM's afternoon radio announcer, producer, and anchor. In the field, Steve has specialized in covering government, military, and technology stories. He also enjoys covering live breaking news, including on election nights; he likes to say he has not been home on any election night since Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter in 1980.