Another state is shifting to personal responsibility in the fight against COVID-19.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Wednesday that she’s issuing a “greatly slimmed down” health order that has few restrictions, keeping her promise to let a statewide face mask order expire Friday. It encourages people to keep taking precautions such as voluntarily wearing masks, but no longer includes a statewide mask order.
Alabama opened vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older two days ago, and state health officials said virus hospitalizations, percentage of positive tests and daily case numbers are hitting some of the lowest numbers in a year.
“We are finally rounding the corner. While we haven’t whipped this deadly disease just yet, it appears that, thank the good Lord we are in the home stretch. Please, please continue to use good common sense and we will see the end of COVID-19 soon,” Ivey said.
The Republican governor said she’ll keep wearing a mask around others after Friday, and urged other Alabamians to do the same. She also urged people to respect businesses who require customers to wear masks.
Ivey’s latest order also goes against a request from President Joe Biden for states to maintain mask orders to stave off a fourth surge of the virus.
Birmingham and Montgomery will keep mask mandates in place beyond Friday.
Mayor Randall Woodfin said Birmingham’s mask ordinance is needed because COVID-19 continues to be a health threat and most people in the city and the state have not been fully vaccinated.
“We will continue to make decisions that we believe will save lives. They may not be popular,” Woodfin said Tuesday.
This is an excerpt from Fox News.
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