A Pima County Superior Court judge has temporarily halted the enforcement of the county’s new curfew.
Judge Kellie Johnson said the curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. violated Gov. Doug Ducey's executive order prohibiting cities and counties from imposing tougher restrictions than the state.
But Pima County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francisco García, says the curfew is necessary, and when coupled with other restrictions and protocols, it can help mitigate the spread of the virus.
"The concept in public health is called layer mitigation so that we’re doing a variety of behaviors and activities that prevent that transmission of disease," García said.
The curfew was put in place, García says, because the county observed that at bars open past 10 p.m., there was a substantial amount of noncompliance of other safety measures.
The county plans to appeal the court’s preliminary injunction ruling.
