MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – By breaking with other Southern GOP governors, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey extended her state’s mask order by one month Thursday, but said the requirement will end for good in April.
Following the recommendations of medical officials, Ivey said she will keep the mask order that would expire Friday until April 9.
“We need to get past Easter and hopefully allow more Alabamians to have their first chance before we take a step that some other states have taken to get rid of the mask sequence altogether and remove other restrictions. Folks, we’re not there yet, but goodness knows we’re getting closer, ”Ivey said at a press conference.
The governor said masks have been “one of our best tools” to prevent the spread of the virus, but stressed that she will not expand the mask mandate any further, saying it will become a matter of personal responsibility when the mandate expires.
“Even if we take command of the mask, I will continue to wear my mask while around others and I strongly urge my fellow citizens to use common sense and do the same,” said Ivey.
According to state figures, only about 13% of Alabama’s 4.9 million people have received one dose of vaccine so far.
State health official Scott Harris said vaccine supplies are increasing and if the state can get a total of 1.75 million injections in early April, that would be a “great place to be.”
Harris said about 500,000 people in the state have tested positive for the virus, and there are likely others who had it but were unaware of it.
“We’re aiming to reach this herd immunity point at some point,” said Harris.
Medical officials welcomed Ivey’s decision after recommending an extension, arguing that relaxing restrictions before more people were vaccinated could reverse the recent improvements. The moving seven-day average of daily cases in Alabama has fallen from 3,000 in early January to below 1,000, and hospital admissions are at their lowest point since the summer.
“This is very good news. This gives us a month to vaccinate more people and to better master the role of the British variant, ”says Dr. Don Williamson, the former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association.
Dr. Ellen Eaton, who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said schools and organizations serving people who have not yet received a vaccine should “carefully consider how to proceed” once the order expires.
“For many, constant masking is necessary, such as in schools and colleges. But leadership in these spaces takes time to reflect on the health and policy implications of recommending masks when there is no mandate, ”she said.
Ivey has faced political pressure to end the mask order, like some other Republican-led states have done. Texas and neighboring Mississippi ease health restrictions as vaccination rates soar and diseases related to the new coronavirus decline. In extending the order for five weeks, Ivey deployed a political needle – following the recommendations of medical officials, as well as letting people know that there will be a set end date.
Some social media users shared the phone number with the governor’s office, asking callers to oppose the rule. And the Alabama Senate passed a resolution Wednesday night urging Ivey to end the mask mandate.
Republican Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth also asked Ivey to end the mask requirement, which he has been resisting all along, saying that individuals can make their own decisions and follow safety rules until vaccinations and immunity levels are sufficient. .
“But we can do all these things without a Big Brother-style government mandate looming over us,” Ainsworth said in a statement.
The governor has lifted some restrictions on the number of people that can sit as a restaurant table, but tables must still be 2 meters apart or have a partition. The order also allowed seniors to resume some activities and hospitals to increase the number of visitors patients can receive from one to two
Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.