PHOENIX — After Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered bars, gyms, movie theaters, water parks, and tubing operators to close for at least 30 days on Monday, Rep Andy Biggs blasted his decision. Although Arizona has seen steady increases in positive COVID-19 test results in the state, Biggs questioned the need for Ducey to take the drastic step.
Shut the state down when the total hospitalization rate has fallen to 6.22% & the total mortality rate to 2.13%?
What do we say to the 1000s of people who would lose their jobs, the many businesses that would be permanently shuttered, or the increased calls to suicide hotlines? https://t.co/lsnbZQg7so
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 29, 2020
About those Arizona % positive numbers… we’ve never been given the real denominator https://t.co/7F9Ii6rmNC
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 29, 2020
In a appearance on FOX News, Biggs noted that the state’s hospitalization rate is nearly of what is was two weeks ago:
It’s important for Arizonans to put the COVID-19 data in context and tune out the daily hysteria from the mainstream media. pic.twitter.com/3Yg0C5Fo3L
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 29, 2020
According to FOX10, the CEO of Mountainside Fitness, Tom Hatten, announced that he was going to sue the governor. It is likely other business owners will follow suit.