FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Board of Supervisors declared a State of Emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The declaration was approved at special session on Wednesday, March 18.
With the declaration, Coconino County will be able to make appropriate orders, provide emergency resources, request additional resources and receive mutual aid from the state and federal governments. There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Coconino County.
The County was the first agency in the state of Arizona to set-up COVID-19 specimen collections sites. There are two sites in Flagstaff. As per CDC guidelines, individuals must meet criteria, as determined by their provider, to qualify for testing. An order from a healthcare provider or from the Coconino County Health and Human Service COVID-19 Response Team is required prior to arriving at the specimen collection site. People are asked to call their providers prior to visiting a medical office.
“Coconino County takes the COVID-19 outbreak seriously and we are doing everything we can to keep our residents informed and safe,” said Chair of the County Board of Supervisors Lena Fowler. “Coconino County continues to deliver services as we adapt to this rapidly evolving situation. We have opened two specimen collection sites for people that have doctor’s orders for a test. We continue to provide the latest information and resources to our communities and local businesses. Our employees are absolutely important so we are implementing extra support so they can continue to provide essential County services for the public.”
While there are currently no County office closures, there is planning for potential facility closures, modified staffing plans, work-from-home options and enhanced communications to employees to ensure County services are continued. County Board meetings will continue as planned unless conditions change and people are encouraged to stream meetings and attend in person only if necessary.
Coconino County Health and Human Services established the Coconino County COVID-19 Incident Command Team that included a Command and General Staff structure for the monitoring and preparedness measures surrounding COVID-19 on January 29, 2020. The County also established an Emergency Operations Center on March 12 to prepare for a potential outbreak of COVID-19. The County also set-up a COVID-19 Information Line (928.679.7300) from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Friday and 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on weekends for people who have questions. People can also email questions to: COVID19Information@coconino.az.gov. Further information is available on the Coconino County COVID-19 website at www.coconino.az.gov/covid19.