(MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz.) Maricopa County became the latest municipality in Arizona to require masks while inside county-owned buildings as the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to increase confirmed cases across the state and country, azfamily reported.
Phoenix, Peoria and Tempe, all cities within Maricopa County, have already instituted mask mandates. The mandate only applies to city- or county-owned buildings and not outdoor or public spaces.
Gov. Doug Ducey hasn't issued a mask mandate during the pandemic but has encouraged Arizonans to wear masks. He signed an executive order in March that banned cities from issuing mask mandates.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a large majority of Arizona is considered to have "high" or "substantial" levels of transmission of COVID-19.
High transmission areas are areas that report 100 cases or more per 100,000 or have a positivity rate of at least 10%. Substantial transmission areas are if a county reports 50 to 100 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period or has a positivity rate of 8% to 10%