Grand Canyon Times

Expanding access to unemployment insurance is one of many actions Gov. Doug Ducey has taken in the past week to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a press release, the executive order would allow individuals who lose their job the ability to apply for unemployment benefits right away rather than having to wait the previous requirement of one week. The requirement of having to be actively searching for work in order to receive the benefits would also be waived. Unemployment benefits will be expanded to employees who have had to quarantine or whose workplaces have either had reduced hours or have been temporarily closed.

“These are important steps to get help to Arizonans out of work and struggling to make ends meet because of COVID-19,” Ducey said in the release on March 20. “These are just some steps out of many we will continue to take to support Arizonans in need during this time — and Arizona will get through this together.”

Other executive orders Ducey has issued include closing bars and limiting restaurants to take-out or delivery only in Arizona counties with confirmed coronavirus cases, stopping all elective surgeries in the state to free up medical supplies and hospital space, and enlisting the help of National Guard to restock shelves at grocery stores and food banks.

“We remain focused in the State of Arizona on proactively limiting the spread of COVID-19,” Ducey said in a March 19 press release. “These latest actions are based on the facts and on data, and come after careful consultation with public health experts from every county in Arizona, our hospitals, local elected officials and private sector partners. They reflect guidance from the CDC and the latest recommendations from our Department of Health Services, while going even further to bolster our efforts with additional manpower and resources.”

The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that there have been more than 300 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state and five deaths due to the virus.