Gov. Ivey Urges Use Of Masks After Mandate Expires

MONTGOMERY, AL — The statewide mask order expires April 9, but Gov. Kay Ivey said Alabamians should continue to use them after the order expires.

"After April 9, masks will no longer be a mandate, but they remain one of the most successful tools we have to keep folks safe from COVID-19," Ivey said Monday. "I hope these are helpful to businesses around the state as they set their own protocols to operate safely."

Ivey took to social media saying businesses can use signs created by the governor's office that encourage the wearing of face coverings by customers.

When Ivey announced she would not renew the mask mandate beyond April 9, state health director Dr. Scott Harris promoted the continued use of masks.

"There is nothing magical about the date of April 9," Harris said. "We don’t want the public to think that’s the day we all stop taking precautions."

More than 500,000 people in Alabama have tested positive for COVID-19 since March of 2020, and the state has reported more than 10,000 deaths from the virus.

Alabama is still averaging 507 new COVID-19 cases a day over the last week. While an improvement over weekly averages in January that reached above 4,000 new cases per day, less than a fourth of the population has been vaccinated, which leaves the state vulnerable for another outbreak.

Ivey also addressed the reopening of schools in Alabama Monday, and amended social distancing rules for schools to reflect the Centers for Disease Control's guidelines for social distancing (three feet apart instead of six).

"Alabama continues moving in the right direction, and we feel very optimistic that COVID-19 will soon be in our rearview mirrors," Ivey said. "Until then, we want to ensure that we are doing what we know is right in Alabama, based on recommendations by the CDC and other experts. That also means that we can continue taking reasonable steps to return to normal."

Ivey said she believes the time has come for schools to allow students to return to campuses.

"Alabama schools, for the most part, are setting the example for the rest of the nation, because the majority of our students and teachers are back in the classroom," she said. "These latest guidelines from the CDC make the return to the classroom even easier for our schools, and I hope that districts here in Alabama and around the country follow the science and get our kids back in the classroom. Students have not had a voice during the pandemic, and I think we can all agree that it is past time for students and teachers to have the opportunity to be back in the classroom."