MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) – Breaking with other Southern GOP governors, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey extended her state’s mask order Thursday one more month, but said the requirement will definitely end in April.
Following the recommendations of medical officials, Ivey said he will maintain the mask order that would expire Friday through April 9th.
“We need to get past Easter and hopefully allow more Alabamians to get their first shot before taking a step that some other states have taken to remove the mask order and lift other restrictions. People, we’re not there yet, but God knows we are getting closer, ”Ivey told a news conference.
Ivey has faced political pressure to lift the order of masks like some other Republican-led states to have done. Texas and neighboring Mississippi they reduce health restrictions as vaccinations increase and coronavirus-related diseases decrease. By extending the order for five weeks, Ivey passed a political needle, following medical advice, while letting people know a firm end date.
The governor called the masks “one of our best tools” to prevent the spread of the virus, but stressed that she will no longer extend the order of the masks, saying it will become a matter of personal responsibility when the term ends.
“Even when we lift the mask order, I will continue to wear my mask while I am on the side of others and I will strongly urge my fellow citizens to use common sense and do the same,” Ivey said.
Medical officials welcomed Ivey’s decision after urging an extension, arguing that easing restrictions before vaccinating more people could reverse recent improvements. Alabama’s daily average of daily cases has dropped from 3,000 in early January to less than 1,000 and hospitalizations are at their lowest point since the summer.
“This is very good news. That gives us a month to vaccinate more people and get better control over the role of the UK variant, ”said Dr Don Williamson, the former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association.
So far only 13% of Alabama’s 4.9 million people have received a dose of vaccine, according to state figures.
State Health Officer Scott Harris said the supply of vaccines is increasing and that if the state can get a cumulative total of 1.75 million shots in early April, it would be a “fantastic place.”
Harris said about 500,000 people in the state have tested positive for the virus and there are likely to be others who have it but don’t know it.
“We strive to reach that point of herd immunity at some point,” Harris said.
Dr. Ellen Eaton, who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said schools and organizations that serve people who have not yet received the vaccine should “carefully consider how to proceed” once the order is completed. .
“For many, it will be necessary to continue masking, such as in schools and colleges. But leadership in these spaces needs time to think about the health and policy implications of recommending masks in the absence of a mandate, ”he said.
Ivey faced a backlash on social media over his decision, with some users sharing the phone number at the governor’s office and asking people they called to express opposition to the rule. And the Alabama Senate passed a resolution Wednesday evening urging Ivey to end the mask’s term.
Republican Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth also called on Ivey to end the mask requirement, which he has always opposed, saying individuals can make decisions for themselves and follow safety rules until vaccines and immunity levels are sufficient.
“But we can do all these things without being imposed on a Big Brother-style government mandate,” Ainsworth said in a statement.
The governor lifted some restrictions on how many people can sit as a restaurant table, but it is still required that the tables be 6 feet (2 meters) apart or have a partition. The order also allowed the elderly to resume some activities and hospitals to increase the number of visitors patients can have from one to two.
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