Coronavirus: Phoenix City Manager Sends Message To City Employees

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

March 21, 2020 - 5:50 PM

The following message from City Manager Ed Zuercher was sent to all city of Phoenix employees on the evening of March 20, 2020.

Dear City of Phoenix Employees,

I am sending you this employee communication late on Friday night with a deep level of heartbreak.

Just a short time ago, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) confirmed the first death in Arizona due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Officials identified the person as a man in his 50’s who had underlying health conditions.

We have now learned that the man who passed away was a city of Phoenix employee who worked in the Aviation Department. Our employee worked in a remote office and had minimal public interaction within any of the terminals and related airport facilities.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of our employee and to the entire Aviation Department. The city staff who we know of who had close contact with our employee will be notified individually and provided health guidelines from the County.

This news is startling and stressful as we are continuing to navigate this unprecedented health emergency. The COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, which means decisions about our communication to employees must be quick and significant. While every effort is made in normal situations to protect the privacy of our employees, we made the decision to inform all of you about this death because of the health emergency our world is facing. We will not discuss the name of the employee or any other details.

It is imperative that all employees follow the safety guidelines from our health experts: Wash your hands, if you are sick stay home, cover your cough, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Visit the Human Resources website for more employee information.

We will keep the lines of communication open and continue providing as many updates as we can.

I continue to have faith in what we are doing and am grateful for the dedication I continue to see from every city of Phoenix employee.

Take care of yourself and those around you –- Ed

This press release was produced by the City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.