Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: A young girl secures her mask with loops over her ears. Clifton Mayor Luis Montoya is set to issue a proclamation mandating the use of masks while in public in Clifton.
By Jon Johnson
CLIFTON – According to Clifton Mayor Luis M. Montoya, the town of Clifton will soon require the use of face coverings while in public places.
“After today’s work session and guidance provided by the town council, I have decided that our town’s responsibility to its residents can best be met by the issuance of a proclamation mandating ‘face-covering’ masks by everyone while in public places and in locations where social distancing is not possible,” Montoya said.
Greenlee County has the lowest amount of positive COVID-19 tests out of all of Arizona’s counties and the lowest rate of transmission. As of Tuesday night, the Greenlee County Health Department has recorded 16 positive cases but advised that it was investigating multiple others who worked in Greenlee County but would not show up on its total because they live in another county.
The health department lists eight currently active cases, with seven recovered and one death and 37 tests pending.
Several cities in Maricopa County, including Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe, and the county itself, have mandated the wearing of masks in public. Proclamations have also been made outside of Maricopa County in municipalities such as Casa Grande, Tucson, Flagstaff, Payson, and Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. In some areas, enforcement of the proclamations is mostly educational but refusing to wear a mask could result in a fine of up to $50. It is not yet known if there will be the possibility of any such fines for doing so in Clifton.
Montoya said the proclamation will be made for Clifton after legal review. Graham County and the city of Safford recommend the wearing of face masks in public but do not require it.
“I will be working on the proclamation and it will become official as soon as it is reviewed and approved by legal counsel,” Montoya said.
