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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Breaking with other GOP Southern governors, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey extended her state’s mask order for another month on Thursday, but said the requirement would end for good in April.
The move came a day after President Joe Biden criticized Texas governors and Mississippi for deciding to lift their mask warrants, claiming that their actions reflect “Neanderthal thinking.”
Ivey faced political pressure to lift the mask order like her Republican counterparts, but said she would follow recommendations from medical officials and uphold the term that was due to expire Friday until April 9.
“We need to get past Easter and hopefully allow more Alabamians to take their first photo before taking a step other states have taken to remove the mask order completely and lift other restrictions. Friends, we’re not there yet, but God knows we’re getting closer, ”Ivey said at a press conference.
The governor called the masks “one of our greatest tools” to prevent the spread of the virus, but stressed that she will not prolong the order of the masks, saying it will become a matter of personal responsibility at the end of term.
“Even when we lift the mask order, I will continue to wear my mask while I am in the company of others and I urge my fellow citizens to use common sense and do the same,” said Ivey.
Medical officials hailed Ivey’s decision after asking for an extension, arguing that easing restrictions before more people are vaccinated could reverse recent improvements. The seven-day moving average of daily cases in Alabama fell from 3,000 in early January to less than 1,000 and hospitalizations are at their lowest level since the summer.
“This is very good news. It gives us a month to vaccinate more people and to better understand the role of the British variant,” said Dr Don Williamson, former public health official who now heads Alabama. Hospital Association.
So far, only 13% of Alabama’s 4.9 million people have received a dose of the vaccine, according to state figures.
State health official Scott Harris said vaccine stocks were increasing and if the state could get a cumulative 1.75 million vaccines delivered in early April it would be a “great place” .
Harris said about 500,000 people in the state have tested positive for the virus and there are likely more who have had it but did not know it.
“We’re working to achieve that point of herd immunity at some point,” Harris said.
Dr Ellen Eaton, who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said schools and organizations serving people who have not yet received a vaccine will need “to think carefully about the how to proceed ”after the order has been completed.
“For many, continuous masking will be necessary, such as in schools and colleges. But leadership in these spaces needs time to reflect on the health and political implications of recommending masks in the absence of a mandate, ”she said.
Ivey faced backlash on social media for his decision, with some users sharing the phone number with the governor’s office and asking callers to voice their opposition to the rule. And the Alabama Senate approved a resolution Wednesday night urging Ivey to end the mask’s tenure.
Republican Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth also called on Ivey to end the mask requirement, which he has always opposed, saying individuals can make decisions for themselves and follow safety rules until ” vaccinations and immunity levels are sufficient.
“But we can do all of these things without a Big Brother-type government mandate threatening us,” Ainsworth said in a statement.
The governor lifted some restrictions on the number of people who can sit as a restaurant table, but tables must still be spaced 6 feet (2 meters) apart or have a partition. The ordinance also allowed seniors to resume certain activities and hospitals to increase the number of visitors patients can have from one to two.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
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