PHOTO: Governor Kay Ivey held an update Coronavirus press conference on Wednesday April 7, 2021 (Governor's Office / Hal Yeager)

By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Last week, Governor Kay Ivey announced a new "Safer Apart" health order to replace the expiring "Safer-At-Home" order, which included a mask mandate.

The new health order, which is described as the "third phase of COVID-19 health orders," strongly encourages individuals to wear masks or facial coverings in public, but it is no longer required. 

According to the Governor's Office, the order asks individuals to "exercise personal responsibility" in slowing the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining six feet of distance from people in other households, staying home when sick, frequent hand washing, and disinfecting frequently used items or surfaces as much as possible.

"We are still under a public health order but it's greatly slimmed down," Ivey said. "Ya’ll, this is definitely good news, and we are definitely moving in the right direction."

As of Monday, April  12, the State of Alabama had recorded 519,071 cases of COVID-19 since last March. More than 10,000 Alabamians have died from the virus. 325,733 Alabamians have recovered from the virus statewide.

The "Safer Apart" order began on Friday, April 9 at 5 p.m. and will expire on Wednesday, May 5. The full order can be found at governor.alabama.gov.