As physicians across Arizona who are concerned about our patients and the public health of our state, we are urging the Arizona Legislature not to pass HB 2770, which would allow businesses to ignore mask mandates issued by cities, towns, or counties. Passing this legislation could lead to another surge in COVID-19 cases and cause more needless deaths.

With three vaccines that are highly effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths being administered as we speak, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. Like all Arizonans, we are eager to get back to a more normal life — as healthcare workers we see firsthand the toll this pandemic has taken on physical and mental health.

But rushing to throw masks away and get rid of the protections that have saved countless Arizonans will only risk more lives. Public health experts have warned against ending protections while cases remain high, too few people are vaccinated and more contagious variants and mutations of COVID-19 have begun spreading. The more contagious B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has been reported in Arizona, and community disease spread remains high in eight of Arizona’s 15 counties, including the most populous, Maricopa County.

Furthermore, Arizona has vaccinated only a fraction of our residents: Only around 10 percent of Arizonans have received both doses of a vaccine for maximum efficacy, and only 19.7 percent have received one dose. Epidemiologists and health experts say between 70 and 90 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd, or community, immunity when enough people have immunity to stop COVID-19 from spreading within the population.

We are hopeful that we’ll reach community immunity and a sense of normalcy very soon, but now is not the time to abandon the practices that have gotten us this far and kept our patients and state safer. We know that masks work to prevent the spread — and preventing the spread is critical to keep the virus from continuing to replicate and mutate, becoming more contagious and dangerous. With a little discipline and inconvenience now, Arizonans can all make it out of this pandemic together.

Make no mistake, if the Arizona Legislature passes HB 2770 to let businesses ignore mask requirements, more of our patients and neighbors will needlessly die. Especially when we are so close to a chance at community immunity and normalcy, passing this senseless policy would be a grave mistake. We urge the Legislature not to pass this policy.