Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has extended the state’s current public health order, with no changes, until Jan. 22, 2021.
During a Dec. 9 press conference, Ivey and state health officer Dr. Scott Harris addressed the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the state. Ivey said extending the mask mandate and continuing to emphasize handwashing and social distancing is the right thing to do.
In Alabama, “we have learned to live with the virus, even as many states are reversing course,” Ivey said.
She attributed the state’s ability to keep churches, schools and businesses open while those in other states are being closed to the statewide mask requirement. Ivey said the state’s pandemic advisory team has not considered another lockdown since some restrictions were lifted in May.
In November, Ivey loosened many restrictions on businesses and restaurants but renewed the requirement that masks be worn in most public places, as well as at schools except for students grade 2 and below.
‘Only limitation’
“In many ways, the only limitation that is left upon us is the mask,” Ivey said.
In his comments, Harris spoke about the state’s plans to for the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations, expected to arrive in the state early next week.
Harris said he expects an allotment of around 41,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which will be distributed to about 15 locations around the state. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage and will be sent to facilities that meet those temperature requirements.
The first to get the vaccine will be front-line health workers and residents of skilled nursing facilities, though only a fraction of either group will receive priority as vaccines arrive in the state, Harris said.
Vaccines will be scarce
“The scarcity of the vaccine will last for a while,” Harris said, noting there are approximately 300,000 health care workers in the state.
Later in December, Harris said he expects the arrival in Alabama of a similar number of vaccines produced by pharmaceutical company Moderna. The Moderna product “can get to a lot more places more easily,” Harris said, because ultra-cold storage is not required. Both vaccines are pending Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Alabama currently has more than 2,100 in-state hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and has seen more than 3,000 near cases daily in the past few days, Harris said. Referring to the upcoming Christmas season, Harris said there are more than 4,000 family members, loved ones and friends who won’t be here this Christmas because of the coronavirus.
“If you had a 747 crash every month for the past ten months, that’s about how many people we’ve lost in the past ten months in our state,” Harris said. “We want to encourage everyone to do everything they can do to keep themselves and others safe.”
Click here to view the updated Alabama health order.
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