Governor Kay Ivey’s Safer at Home order is set to end this Friday. The current action is in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Alabama and the growing number of cases and deaths from the virus. It requires limits on the number of people in restaurants, bars, and other venues. It also continues the call for social distancing and the wearing of face masks. Dr. Karen Landers is a physician with the Alabama Department of Public Health. She says relaxed restrictions aren’t an excuse for unsafe behavior.
“Facilities such as restaurants and other food establishments were able to change their capacity. Previously they had been limited to a 50% capacity. However, you have to remember that even thought that capacity has been changed, persons are still expected to follow the preventive measures.”
Dr. Landers says the outbreak is getting worse.
“We have been trending upward for several weeks. We also have continued to have high numbers of hospitalization for Covid-19. The only preventive measures we have right now for Covid are social distancing, respiratory hygiene, good handwashing, the use of the cloth face coverings…”
State observers are watching to see if Governor Ivey extends her safer at home order once again. The Governor recently talked about the importance of wearing masks while in public.