Maricopa County's disease control division medical director said Monday that she didn't agree with Gov. Doug Ducey's decision to shutter schools, restaurants and other public places amid COVID-19 concerns.

Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine told the Phoenix City Council that it was her opinion that the decision to close down public spaces was made too early.

"I would try to minimize spread, maximize distance but keep facilities open because I think this is going to be a long haul," she said.

Last week, Ducey ordered schools, restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment facilities to close in hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19.

“These latest actions are based on the facts and on data, and come after careful consultation with public health experts from every county in Arizona, our hospitals, local elected officials, and private sector partners," Ducey said in a statement last week.

"They reflect guidance from the CDC and the latest recommendations from our Department of Health Services, while going even further to bolster our efforts with additional manpower and resources."

There is no scheduled end date for the business closures. Schools are scheduled to re-open April 13, but that date has already been pushed back once.

Arizona now has 234 identified cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, a database from the Arizona Department of Health Services showed on Monday.

'There's no exit strategy'

Sunenshine did not diminish the seriousness of the novel coronavirus in her discussion with the Phoenix City Council Monday.

But she disagreed on how to handle the spread of the disease. A vaccine is likely more than a year away from distribution, and it's unsustainable to ask businesses and schools to close for that period of time, she said.

"There's no exit strategy," Sunenshine said.

She said forced closures and shelter-in-place orders should be reserved for when the health care system is nearing capacity and will soon be unable to treat all patients.

The county's not there yet, Sunenshine said. In fact, the health care system is not even as burdened as it usually is during a typical flu season, she said.

She's not recommending a free-for-all.

Sunenshine is still advising seniors and people with chronic health conditions to stay home, and suggests everyone else practice social distancing: Stay six feet from other people, sanitize frequently and don't touch your face.

"There’s enough community spread that all of us need to assume we’re being exposed at some point in our day," Sunenshine said, emphasizing the need for sanitation and social distancing.

But the government can't expect people to isolate for a year — and there's more to public health than just not contracting COVID-19.

People still need exercise, socialization, access to food and the ability to sustain their livelihood. She suggested businesses, libraries and other facilities re-open but with extra parameters in place to create more distance between people.

For example, tables at restaurants could be spread further apart.

On schools, Sunenshine said several times that science does not support shutting schools.

"Because of the way the disease affects children so much less than adults, the science tells us that closing schools doesn't have any effect on (slowing the spread of COVID-19)," Sunenshine said.

She said the governor knows this, and "there must have been something else that was pressuring him to make that decision (to close schools)."

"I respect the governor and I respect the position that he's in, but there must have been other factors beyond the science," she said.

Sunenshine also told the council to think locally: Maricopa County's situation is not the same as Seattle's or New York City's. Elected officials should look to their own community when making decisions, she said.

"You all work for the local government," she said. "Try to focus on what people are telling us in this area."

Board of Supervisors defends doctor

Sunenshine's comments, which run in contrast to what many other public health professionals are advising, were met with backlash on social media. Some even called for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to fire her for her opinions.

The board released a statement defending Sunenshine Tuesday and said that the board "will continue to seek her counsel to guide our decisions during this time."

"Her opinion has always been that political leaders should wait until we reach a critical number of cases in the community because COVID-19 is not going away in two weeks or even two months. Closing critical infrastructure can have negative effects on the public health of the community beyond one virus," the statement said.

The board said that Sunenshine's advice "in no way rebukes the difficult decisions made by Governor Ducey and county leadership."

"We need level-headed medical professionals to guide us. She will remain a trusted voice at the county as we navigate the uncharted waters of this pandemic," the board said.

Reach the reporter at jessica.boehm@gannett.com or 480-694-1823. Follow her on Twitter @jboehm_NEWS.

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