Southern Governor Makes Major Change to COVID Guidelines

We are in what many believe are the waning days of the coronavirus crisis, as case numbers are largely trending lower, and vaccinations continue to be administered at a break-neck pace.  This has led a number of local leaders to reconsider the strict and stern protocols that were put into place earlier in the pandemic.

Alabama is just the latest to eye a return to normalcy.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) announced the ‘Safer Apart’ order Thursday, making face masks optional in the state after April 9, an indication that the Yellowhammer State is moving in the right direction.

“As I’ve previously stated, Alabama’s mask order will expire at 5 p.m. on April 9,” Ivey stated in a tweet. “Today, I’m announcing our state will then enter into our Safer Apart order, which will be in effect until May 5 at 5 p.m.”

“Folks, we still have a public health order, but it’s greatly slimmed down due to everyone doing their part to practice social distancing, wearing a mask, & voluntarily getting a vaccine,” Ivey wrote in another tweet as she encouraged residents in the state “to do all of these things & make smart decisions.”

The move came as officials continued to follow the science.

“As of Monday, the 7-day average for newly-reported COVID-19 [coronavirus] cases was 328 per day,” Ivey said at a Wednesday press conference. “That’s a 92 percent drop from the high reached on Jan. 10 and the lowest such average since the spring of 2020.”

“Ya’ll, this is definitely good news, and we are definitely moving in the right direction,” she added.

The news comes just days removed from Texas’ governor taking similar steps to bring the Lone Star State economy back online, and denotes a positive trend for America’s coronavirus recovery.