By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com (Photo by Mickey Welsh | Montgomery Advertiser)

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — At a press conference earlier today, Governor Kay Ivey (R-Ala.) reiterated her commitment to Alabama's stay-at-home order. Currently, the order goes through Thursday, April 30.

"Keep doing what you are doing," stated Ivey. "I am as eager as anyone to get our economy back open and operating on all cylinders again. We have to do it in a smart way."

In a Twitter thread on Tuesday, Ivey stated the projected peak of illness will be this week in Alabama.

The order, which requires all non-essential businesses to be closed, will be re-evaluated on April 28, but remain in effect through May 1.

Other states, including the surrounding states of Georgia and Tennessee, have announced plans to gradually reopen their economies in the coming days. Last week, Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth (R-Ala.) put forth recommendations on reopening some businesses like salons immediately before others reopen in phases next month.

Both Gov. Ivey and State Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris stated the need for more testing and a decline in new COVID-19 cases before the reopening process can begin.

At the time of press, Alabama has 5,204 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus out of a total of 48,387 administered tests. 47 of those cases are in DeKalb County. Of the 177 deaths reported, 144 have been confirmed to be due to COVID-19 with two confirmed in DeKalb County. Almost 700 have been hospitalized in the State of Alabama due to the virus.