The City of Nogales continues to take an aggressive approach to stopping the spread of COVID-19. On Saturday, March 21, 2020, the Mayor and City Council will be holding a special session to consider an ordinance that, among other actions, will limit the operations of bars, movie theaters, indoor gyms and fitness clubs, and restaurants.
The City Manager’s decision to establish a situation room for near-real-time updates on COVID-19 across the globe has greatly enhanced the City’s response capability. The City converted a conference room into an Operations Center to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and coordinate with local, county, state, and federal officials. The City Manager is streamlining resources at the Nogales Library by altering hours of operations to 9:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday to Friday.
The City is encouraging residents to use the drop off boxes at City Hall for utility, business license, ambulance, and other payments to the City. Residents are also able to make payments online at www.nogalesaz.gov/bill-pay.
The US Department of Homeland Security issued a press release regarding the joint US-Mexico decision to temporarily suspend non-essential crossings. Both countries recognize that critical services such as food, fuel, healthcare, and life-saving medicines must reach people on both sides of the line. The City encourages residents to continue supporting local businesses. There are a number of ways that residents can still shop their favorite spots and offer support to local businesses, while practicing social distancing.
- Order Delivery or Curbside Pick Up. Many local food establishments offer curbside and delivery options. Call ahead to see if you can get your favorite food delivered or picked up. In addition, there are a number of food delivery services such as GrubHub that deliver food from local businesses. Walmart offers pickup options daily from 11:00AM to 7:00PM. Residents can order up to 2 days in advance.
- Purchase Gift card or Gift Certificates. Choosing to invest in a future purchase can give local business owners a stream of revenue and help them during this time.
- Shop Online or on Social Media. Local Businesses may have limited hours during this time, but customers may be able to continue shopping online at their favorite spots. Check if your favorite spot has an online or social media account you can shop from.
- Reschedule instead of canceling. Knowing that demand for goods and services still exist can greatly help local business make critical decisions during this time.
- Skip the Refund. If you missed a local event or experience, consider writing it off as a donation instead of asking for your money back
- Tip for service. Many servers have had their hours cut or are facing layoffs. Consider increasing your tip to help your neighbors in the service industry.
- Leave a positive review or following their social media. Many businesses have a social media page. Click Like or Follow to support your favorite spots. Leave a positive review on Google or Yelp to let everyone know about the great food you had delivered or the item you ordered online.