MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) – Alabama’s COVID-19 public health order and state of emergency will soon end.
On Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the public health order would end May 31 while the state of emergency would end July 6. This comes over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic caused state officials to issue mask mandates and capacity limits for restaurants and public areas.
“For over a year now, Alabamians, like people around the globe, have made sacrifices and adjusted to a temporary ‘new normal.’ We have learned much since last year, and this is absolutely now a managed pandemic. Our infection rates and hospitalizations are in better shape, and over 1.5 million Alabamians have had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Ivey said in a press release sent Monday. “Alabamians have consistently stepped up to the plate over the course of this pandemic, and I know they will continue to do so. I am pleased that we have shown the rest of the country that we are gritty and determined. We are signaling loud and clear that Alabama is open, and we are moving forward.”
The state's Safer Apart order consists of recommendations aligned with CDC guidance and is also applicable with safety guidelines set for nursing homes and hospitals. According to Ivey, these requirement would be lifted following the expiration of the order, pending any spike in COVID-19 cases.
"As we approach the fourteenth month of this pandemic, we are pleased that two-thirds of Alabama residents age 65 and older have been vaccinated," Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said. "While some barriers such as transportation remain, more than 1,300 providers in the state are administering safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in communities throughout the state.”
As of April 5, all Alabamians ages 16 and older have been eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
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