MONTGOMERY, Ala (AP) – The Alabama government, Alabama government, breaks with other southern GOP governors, extended its mask order for another month on Thursday, but said the requirement would end in April for good.
Following the recommendations of medical officers, Ivey said she would keep the mask order that would expire Friday until April 9th.
‘We need to get past Easter and hopefully allow more Alabamians to get their first chance before we take a step that some other states have taken to completely remove the mask order and lift other restrictions. “People, we are not there yet, but goodness knows we are getting closer,” Ivey told a news conference.
The governor said that masks were ‘one of our biggest tools’ to prevent the spread of the virus, but stressed that she would not extend the mask order further, saying it would become a matter of personal responsibility when the mandate be terminated.
“Even when we lift the mask order, I will continue to wear my mask while I am with others and strongly advise my fellow citizens to use common sense and do the same,” Ivey said.
So far, only about 13% of the 4.9 million people in Alabama have received one dose of vaccine, according to state figures.
State health official Scott Harris said the vaccine supply was increasing, and if the state could get a cumulative total of 1.75 million shots delivered in early April, it would be a “great place to be.”
Harris said about 500,000 people in the state tested positive for the virus, and there are probably others who had it but did not know it.
“We are striving to reach this herd immunity point at some point,” Harris said.
Medical officials welcomed Ivey’s decision after recommending an extension, arguing that easing restrictions before more people are vaccinated could stop recent improvements. Alabama’s running average of seven days of daily falls has dropped from early January to 3,000 and hospitalizations are at their lowest point since the summer.
“This is very good news. It gives us a month to vaccinate more people and better handle the role of the British variant, ‘said Dr. Don Williamson, the former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association, said.
Dr. Ellen Eaton, who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, said schools and organizations serving people who have received another vaccine should “carefully consider how to proceed” once the order is completed.
‘For many, continuous masking is needed, as in schools and colleges. But leadership in these spaces needs time to consider the health and policy implications of recommending masks if there is no mandate, ”she said.
Ivey faced political pressure to lift the order of the mask like some other Republican states it did. Texas and neighboring Mississippi are easing health restrictions as vaccinations rise and diseases associated with the new coronavirus. By extending the order for five weeks, Ivey has wrapped a political needle – according to the recommendations of medical officials, but also to let people know that there will be a fixed end date.
Some social media users shared the phone number with the governor’s office and asked that the callers come across the rule. And the Alabama Senate on Wednesday night approved a resolution urging Ivey to end the mask mandate.
Republican Lieutenant General Will Ainsworth also asked Ivey to end the mask requirement, which he has been opposing all along, saying individuals can make their own decisions and follow safety rules until vaccinations and immunity levels are adequate.
“But we can do all these things without a Big Brother-style government mandate coming over us,” Ainsworth said in a statement.
The governor has lifted some restrictions regarding how many people can sit as a restaurant table, but there must still be 2 meters apart or there must be a partition. The order also allowed senior citizens to resume certain activities and hospitals to increase the number of visitors patients could have from one to two
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.