Ivey Continues Mask Mandate Through April 9

Ivey Continues Mask Mandate Through April 9

By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

ALABAMA — On Thursday, Governor Kay Ivey (R-Ala.) announced the extension of Alabama’s statewide mask mandate and “Safer-at-Home” health order.

The order, which was set to expire on Friday, March 5 at 5 p.m., has been in place for months. In the past, Ivey has stated she opposes government mandates for health protocols related to COVID-19, and prefers “personal responsibility.” 

The order will now be extended through April 9, after which, the mask mandate will end.

The health order defines “mask” as any covering that covers both the nose and mouth. Exceptions for the order include practical necessities defined by the Alabama Department of Public Health, some exercise, and voting or religious worship, though masks are encouraged in all of these scenarios as well. 

Medical associations across the State of Alabama, including the Alabama Hospital Association, pushed for the order to be extended.

“We have the disease for the first time may on the run,” said Dr. Don Williamson, the President of the Alabama Hospital Association. “It just seems like a perfect opportunity to push this disease down…our concern is that we have been here before. You can have a peak and then people get better then you can have another peak.”

In an interview with WAFF in Huntsville, Williamson stated that regardless of whether masks were mandated, people should wear them as part of their personal responsibility.

For more information and current COVID-19 case statistics in the State of Alabama, please visit alabamapublichealth.gov.

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