March 26, 2020 / Modified mar 26, 2020 1:11 p.m.

Sonoran governor declares health emergency, orders nonessential businesses closed

Gov. Claudia Pavlovich says essential activities include the supply of food, medicine, water, electricity and others will continue.

Claudia Pavlovich VIEW LARGER Claudia Pavlovich, governor of Sonora.
Murphy Woodhouse/Fronteras Desk

Sonora, Arizona’s neighbor to the south, has declared a health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Claudia Pavlovich made the announcement in a video released Wednesday and said measures would be rolled out over the next 72 hours. Among them is calling for some business activity to cease so workers can stay home.

But “essential activities” necessary to guarantee the supply of food, medicine, medical equipment, water, electricity, fuel and other essentials will continue, the governor said.

Programs for vulnerable populations also will also be established.

The state government said those workers who are sent home will keep jobs and pay. As of Wednesday, there were eight confirmed cases in Sonora.

Fronteras Desk
Fronteras Desk is a KJZZ project covering important stories in an expanse stretching from Northern Arizona deep into northwestern Mexico.
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona