Citing coronavirus concerns Pima County officials could close Tanque Verde Swap Meet

One official says outdoor venues like the swap meet may have been overlooked in county's COVID-19 guidelines

LOOKED INTO WHY THE TANQUEVERDE SWAP MEET STAYED OPENTHIS WEEKEND.

NINE ON YOURSIDE'S ROGELIO MARES SPOKEWITH A COUNTY OFFICIAL ABOUTWHY IT WAS ALLOWED TO STAYOPEN AND WHAT THE COUNTY'SNEXT STEPS COULD BE.I WOULD REALLY HOPE THAT THETANQUE VERDE SWAP MEET WOULDCLOSE VOLUNTARILY.

I THINKTHAT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.05SEC BUT THIS WEEKEND,VIEWERS TOLD KGUN9 THE SWAPMEET WAS PACKED ON SATURDAY.THERE WERE EVEN A FEWCUSTOMERS AND VENDORS THERETODAY.

WELL I THINK THIS ISABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND THATHAS TO BE OUR NUMBER ONECONCERN RIGHT NOW.

04SEC IT'SFOR THAT REASON -- THE PUBLICHEALTH CONCERN -- PIMA COUNTYSUPERVISOR RICHARD ELIAS SAIDCOUNTY LEADERS WILL TAKEACTION THIS WEEK.

WE'LLDEFINITELY HAVE THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT THERE TOMORROW WITHTHEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEYNEED TO DO, BUT LIKELY WE'LLLIKELY WE'LL HAVE TO CLOSEDOWN THAT OPERATION TOO.

11SECIT'S A RESPONSE TO ON-GOINGCONCERNS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS-- ONE WHICH OFFICIALS INCOMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRYHAVE ENCOURAGED SOCIALDISTANCING.

WE HAVE A GROUP OFMORE THAN 50 PEOPLE MEETING INMORE THAN ONE SPOT AND THAT'SCONTRARY TO WHAT THE CDC ISSUGGESTING AND WHAT WE'VE PUTFORTH IN OUR RULES, PIMACOUNTY, WHAT GOVERNOR DUCEYHAS PUT FORTH IN HIS RULES FORTHE STATE AS WELL.

14SEC ELIASTOLD KGUN9 THE SWAP MEET ANDSOME OTHER SIMILAR GATHERINGSWERE SIMPLY OVERLOOKED WHENTHE COUNTY PRESENTED IT'SRULES TO CURB THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19 LAST WEEK.

WELL ITHINK IT HAPPENS, IN THESEKIND OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.SO YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN.07SEC WE'LL FIX IT AND WE'LLGET IT RIGHT.

I THINK EVERYONEHARD AT WORK, TWEAKING ALL THESTUFF WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.07SEC TWEAKING -- ELIAS SAID-- THAT WOULD HAPPEN THISWEEK.

WE DO HAVE A MEETING ONTHURSDAY, AND SO LIKELY WE'LLMAKE SOME REVISIONS TO THATORDER THEN AND THAT MIGHT BEONE OF THEM, THAT WILLPROBABLY BE ONE OF THEM.

10SECSTANDUP ELIAS TOLD ME TOLD METHE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILLALSO INCLUDE RULES FOR OTHEROUTDOOR VENUES, LIKE FARMER'SMARKETS.

REPORTING ON THECITY'S SOUTH SIDE, ROGELIOMARES, KGUN9 ON YOUR SIDE.12SECTO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE