Kay Ivey, Alabama’s Republican governor, has issued a mandate across the state requiring everyone to wear masks while in public spaces.
What We Know:
- Alabama has more than 56,000 coronavirus cases with over 1,000 deaths. On Tuesday, the state reported more than 2,000 new cases. 30 Alabama hospitals have reported to have limited or zero ICU beds available and statewide, only 12 perfect of ICU beds are available. According to AXIOS, Republican governors across the state have been hesitant to mandate masks but now that there has been a spike in cases, they are starting to buckle down.
- Masks in Alabama will be required beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. Masks are required for anyone over the age of 6 who is in public within six feet away from someone who is not a relative. According to the mask ordinance, “Each person shall wear a mask or other facial covering that covers his or her nostrils and mouth at all times when within six feet of a person from another household in any of the following places: an indoor space open to the general public, a vehicle operated by a transportation service, or an outdoor public space where ten or more people are gathered.”
- Face coverings do not apply to: any person six years of age or younger, any person with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask, any person while consuming food or drinks or seating at a restaurant, any person who is obtaining services that require removal of the mask, and any person who is required to remove the mask to confirm his or her identity.
- Ivey spoke out regarding mandating masks, “You shouldn’t have to be ordered to do what is in your own best interest, and in the best interest of those you know and love. I still believe this is going to be a difficult order to enforce. And I always prefer a personal responsibility over a government mandate. Yet, I also know, with all of my heart, that the numbers and the data over the past few weeks are definitely trending in the wrong direction.”
The mask mandate is set to expire July 31. A local physician in Alabama says majority of the case surges are from Jefferson, Madison and Mobile counties.
