PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- Gov. Doug Ducey has issued an executive order to ensure hospitals in Arizona are prepared to handle more coronavirus cases.

Thursday’s order requires hospitals to activate their emergency plans, wich were developed with guidance and funding from the Arizona Department of Health Services.

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The order requires Arizona hospitals to do the following:

Implement processes to re-route non-critical patients to other providers;

Institute plans to optimize staffing levels;

Increase bed capacity by 50% by April 24, with half of that increase implemented by April 10.

Report to ADHS the number of current licensed medical-surgical beds, ICU beds and the amount of increases required under this order.

Requires pediatric hospitals to accept patients up to 21 years of age.

Requires Medicaid insurance plans to cover services provided through the expanded capacity and mandates insurers reimburse hospitals provided at rates equal to what would be provided without the expanded capacity.

Read the entire Executive Order from Gov. Ducey here.