Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey today (Sept. 30) extended the state health order requiring facial coverings in public places until Nov. 8 and said visitor policies for patients in long-term care facilities will be relaxed beginning Oct. 2.
Ivey made the announcement during a press conference with State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris. The mask order has been in effect since July 16. The state health emergency order was issued March 13.
Ivey said the election on Nov. 3 is one reason for extending the order into November.
Safety is priority
“I want everyone to (vote) and to be able to do it safely,” she said, mentioning the safety of voters as well as poll workers.
Ivey said Alabama has made real progress, with no surge after Labor Day weekend as health officials feared. Alabama’s COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalization rates have been in consistent decline since the mask order was instituted, she said.
“To those who want to see the mask go away, … please be patient a little while longer,” she said, adding that she looks “forward to being able to lift the mask order … I hope sooner rather than later.”
Visitation policies changing
Ivey also announced changes to the state health order to allow more flexible visitation policies in hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, including assisted living and memory care facilities.
Noting that 2020 has been “a long hard year” for those in long-term care and their families, Ivey announced changes to “allow loved ones to be reunited safely in these facilities across the state.
“As of today, each patient and each resident is allowed one caregiver and one visitor at a time unless there are compelling reasons to limit access,” Ivey said.
The change goes into effect Oct. 2 for all hospitals and long-term care facilities. The order states:
“All Hospitals and Nursing Home/Long Term Care Facilities (including Assisted Living and Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities) shall ensure that each patient or resident may be accompanied by one caregiver at a time (in the case of hospitals) or receive visits from one visitor at a time (in the case of nursing homes and long-term care facilities), subject to reasonable restrictions imposed on the entrance of persons because of the COVlD-19 county positivity rate, the facility’s COVID-19 status, a patient’s or resident’s COVID-19 status, caregiver/visitor symptoms, lack of adherence to proper infection control practices, or other relevant factors related to the COVlD-19 pandemic, consistent with the following guidance from the federal government:
- For hospitals: “Hospital Visitation -Phase II Visitation for Patients who are Covid-19 Negative” issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on June 26, 2020, and available at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-hospital-visitation-phase-ii-visitation-covid-negative-patients.pdf.
- For nursing homes, assisted living and specialty care assisted living facilities: “Nursing Home Visitation -COVID-19” issued by CMS on September 17, 2020, and available at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-20-39-nh.pdf.
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