Name: Alabama Gov. Ivey issues statewide mask mandate in public spaces, beginning Thursday
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Alabama Gov. Ivey issues statewide mask mandate in public spaces, beginning Thursday

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Share This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutPublic health officials in recent days have said Alabama has a "short window" to get an alarming increase in cases and hospitalizations under control.A link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read theWelcome to our new and improved comments.This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.You will need to register before adding a comment.Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.Please be polite.It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.If you see comments in violation of our , please report them.After days of an "alarming" upward climb in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday she will&nbsp;enforce a statewide mask order.&nbsp;The move was an about-face for the governor, who previously resisted statewide action even as other states implementing mask wearing or began rolling back re-opening plans in recent weeks. But several public health officials this week&nbsp;— including the state's former health officer, now head of the Alabama Health Association, and its largest county's public health officer&nbsp;— supported calls for a mask mandate as infection rates and hospitalizations skyrocketed since the beginning of July.&nbsp;"You shouldn't have to be ordered to do what is&nbsp;in your own best interest, and in the best interest of those you know and love," Ivey said.&nbsp;"I still believe this is going to be a difficult order to enforce. And&nbsp;I always prefer a personal responsibility over a government mandate. Yet, I also know, with all of my heart, that the numbers and the data over the past few weeks are definitely trending in the wrong direction."The state added 2,140 new cases on Wednesday, its highest ever&nbsp;one-day increase. Alabama&nbsp;also confirmed 47 new deaths on Wednesday, the highest one-day total yet. The Alabama Department of Public Health had not updated Wednesday's hospitalization numbers as of press time, but 1,362 people were hospitalized on Tuesday, also a record high.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hospitalizations are a particularly concerning point for officials: Increased patients mean the coronavirus is not only spreading, but it's causing people to fall seriously ill. If hospitalized cases continue to increase, hospitals could become overwhelmed with dealing with COVID-19 cases in addition to their every day patient load.&nbsp;"We're almost to the point where our hospital ICUs are overwhelmed," Ivey said. "Folks, the numbers just do not lie."As COVID-19 cases rise, Alabama Gov. Ivey announces a statewide mask man...A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. ReplayIvey said more extreme measures, such as rolling back business re-openings, could be taken but she would prefer not to do so.&nbsp;Beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 16, masks will be required in public "when interacting within 6 feet" of people from separate households, according to the new state health order.&nbsp;The order specifies masks must be worn in the following spaces:The order is currently set to run through July 31 and supersedes any local orders. SomeDr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association and a former state health officer, was among those publicly supporting a statewide mask order earlier this week. Williamson said it wasn't about ticketing or punishing people not following the rules, but rather developing a widespread moral code where people understood they needed to do their part to protect the broader community.&nbsp;"There's no justification for not wearing a mask," Williamson said in a press conference on Tuesday.&nbsp;After an alarming rise in Montgomery County cases earlier this summer&nbsp;that "emotionally and physically exhausted" local health care capacity, according to one local physician, the current surge in cases appears for now to be concentrated in Jefferson, Madison and Mobile counties.Baptist Health reported Wednesday 82 total COVID-19 patients at its three River Region hospitals. Jackson Hospital reported 47.&nbsp;Williamson said he believes the state may be seeing the "beginning" of a possible Fourth of July surge in new cases, but potential hospitalizations and deaths are more of a lagging indicator that could come later in the month or in early August. Williamson, pointing to the possible return of K-12 schools and higher education institutions at that time, said the state has a "short window" of time to get infection spread under control."I believe we could set ourselves up for what could be a potential disaster in terms of new infections," Williamson said.&nbsp;"In the days and weeks to come, we as fellow Alabamians need to do the things necessary to limit the spread to our fellow citizens. We&nbsp;have a very short window to get things under control."Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Melissa Brown&nbsp;at 334-240-0132&nbsp;or mabrown@gannett.com.Read or Share this story: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/07/15/alabama-mask-mandate-gov-kay-ivey-coronavirus-surge/5442164002/to help improve our site experience!More Stories

Share This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutPublic health officials in recent days have said Alabama has a "short window" to get an alarming increase in cases and hospitalizations under control.A link has been sent to your friend's email address.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the ConversationTo find out more about Facebook commenting please read theWelcome to our new and improved comments.This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.You will need to register...

Alabama Gov. Ivey issues statewide mask mandate in public spaces, beginning Thursday

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