Sedona Mayor updates Proclamation of Emergency to include mandates for businesses

Sedona AZ (March 18, 2020) – Because the safety of residents is the most important consideration and to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19, city of Sedona Mayor Sandy Moriarty updated yesterday’s Proclamation of Emergency to mandate the following regarding businesses, effective 11:59 p.m. on March 19, 2020, until 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2020:

1. All restaurants, food courts, cafes, coffeehouses, retail food facilities, and other similar businesses and establishments are prohibited from serving food and beverages on their premises.

Businesses are encouraged to offer food and beverages using delivery service, window service, drive-through service, or drive-up service, and to use precautions in doing so to mitigate the potential transmission of COVID-19, including social distancing.

1. The following businesses are closed to occupancy by the public:

1. Bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, special licensees, clubs, and other similar businesses and establishments offering alcoholic beverages of spiritous liquor for consumption on-premises.
2. Theaters, cinemas, and indoor and outdoor performance venues.
3. Museums.
4. Gymnasiums, fitness centers, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities, exercise studios, yoga and barre studios, and other similar facilities.  
5. Bingo halls and other recreational or entertainment facilities.

This does not prohibit an owner, employee, contractor, vendor or supplier of a local business from entering, using or occupying that place of business in their professional capacity.

The restrictions do not apply to any of the following:

1. Grocery stores, markets, convenience stores, and other similar businesses and establishments that offer food and beverage that is not for on-premises consumption.
2. Pharmacies and drug stores.
3. Food banks and food pantries.
4. Restaurants located within health care facilities, nursing homes, shelters, group homes, places of worship or similar facilities.
5. Restaurants located at institutions of higher learning.
6. Vendors and concessionaires located within the Sedona Airport.
7. Banks and financial institutions.

All businesses and houses of worship are encouraged to limit gatherings and practice social distancing. Anyone who violates this proclamation will be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.  

“We recognize this will have a significant impact to businesses but the risk of not acting poses far greater threat. Nothing outweighs the importance of protecting the health and safety of residents in these unprecedented times,” said Moriarty.

The city is in frequent contact with the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services, Coconino and Yavapai counties and their epidemiologists, emergency response teams and policy leaders, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to monitor the situation daily.

More information

Read the FAQ document the city compiled for businesses that have questions on the Proclamation of Emergency here and read the Mayor’s letter to the community here. 

For business that still have questions, email questions@sedonaaz.gov. 

To read the full Proclamation, learn more information on the city’s response to COVID-19, and how most city services and offices are closed to in-person access, go to www.sedonaaz.gov/covid19. Note: wastewater and Police Department services will be maintained as they always have.

Health resources

Look to the following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and county resources for more information on COVID-19:

• Coconino County Health and Human Services COVID-19 hotline: 928-679-7300 and website.
• Yavapai County Health Services hotline: 1-844-542-8201 and website.
• Coconino County COVID-19 drive up swab testing information.
• CDC website on coronavirus. 
• Tips on coronavirus prevention. 
• Arizona Department of Health and Human Services information. 
• CDC’s travel notices.