MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) on Thursday issued a statewide health order to aid in Alabama’s efforts to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Statewide through April 5:
- All gatherings of 25 persons or more, or gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons, are prohibited. This Order shall apply to all gatherings, events or activities that bring 25 or more persons in a single room or single space at the same time.
- Any restaurant, bar, brewery or similar establishments shall not permit on-premise consumption of food or drink. Governor Ivey continues to encourage patrons to visit their local eateries for take-out or delivery provided the social distancing protocols include maintaining a consistent six-foot distance between persons are followed.
- All beaches will be closed effective today at 5:00 p.m. For clarification, the term “beach” means the sandy shoreline area abutting the Gulf of Mexico, whether privately or publicly owned, including beach access points.
- Preschools and childcare centers will be closed effective at close of school or business today. This shall not apply to licensed childcare centers that provide services exclusively to employees with: State and Local Governments, First Responders (including EMS and Fire Services), Law Enforcement, Hospitals, Nursing Home/Long Term Care Facilities (including Assisted Living and Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities), End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Centers, Pharmacies and grocery stores.
- Effective immediately, all Hospitals and Nursing Home/Long Term Care Facilities (including Assisted Living and Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities) shall prohibit visitation of all visitors and non-essential health care personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations such as maternity and end-of-life.
- All elective dental and medical procedures shall be delayed, effective immediately.
Governor Kay Ivey:“Despite our best efforts, the threat of the Covid-19 virus continues to spread
Governor Kay Ivey
and, unfortunately, we have not yet reached peak impact. The decision to place regulations upon Alabamians living in Jefferson County and its surrounding counties was an effort to contain the area in which the virus has been prevalent in our state.
“As of this morning, 68 individuals have tested positive for the Coronavirus in Alabama. While I am pleased that many of our citizens are self-regulating and are practicing social distancing, we want to ensure that Alabama is doing our part to flatten the curve.
“Closing Alabama beaches is not a simple decision but one that I came to with the consultation of our elected officials along the coast and members of my administration. After many rounds of conversations with local leaders, in which we discussed several options, I have decided to close beach access in any form. Since we do not want to promote social gatherings, keeping the beaches open sends the wrong message to the public. At this moment, the safety and wellbeing of Alabamians is paramount.
“In addition, we rely heavily upon our first responders and critical healthcare workers to help those who are ill, as well as essential state government employees to keep the continuity of government, and many of them struggle with dependent childcare if daycares close. As a result, I have asked the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Alabama Department of Public Health to explore emergency rulemaking to make critical exemptions to allow for daycare to be provided for these areas of crucial personnel.
Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris
“My administration – and all the services of state government – are going to be as flexible as humanly possible to help make your government work for you during the coming days and weeks. I want to the thank the people of our great state for their continued patience and for taking great care of themselves and each other during this pandemic.”
State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris: “We understand that the health orders issued will be a hardship on Alabamians. We must, first and foremost, protect the health and safety of our citizens. This decision has not been made lightly and will help to prevent the spread of this virus.”
ORDER OF THE STATE HEALTH OFFICER SUSPENDING CERTAIN PUBLIC GATHERINGS
DUE TO RISK OF INFECTION BY COVID-19
(APPLICABLE STATEWIDE)
WHEREAS, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been detected in Alabama; and
WHEREAS, the appearance of COVID-19 in the State poses the potential of widespread exposure to an infectious agent that poses significant risk of substantial harm to a large number of people; and
WHEREAS, the State Board of Health has designated COVID-19 to be a disease of epidemic potential, a threat to the health and welfare of the public, or otherwise of public health importance; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, on recommendation of the State Health Officer, Kay
Ivey, Governor of the State of Alabama, declared a state public health emergency exists in the State of Alabama; and
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, the Jefferson County Health Offcer, in response to a rapidly growing number of cases of COVID-19 being detected in Jefferson County, issued an order suspending certain public gatherings in that county; and
WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the State Health Offcer issued a similar order for counties surrounding Jefferson, including Blount, Saint Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, and Walker Counties, and
WHEREAS, further social distancing measures are necessary to be implemented on a statewide basis to prevent the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, Code ofA1a. 1975, 22-2-2(4), authorizes the State Health Offcer, on behalf of the State Board of Health, to direct that conditions prejudicial to health in public places within the State be abated;
NOW THEREFORE, THESE PREMISES CONSIDERED, it is ordered that the following be implemented statewide:
- Effective today, March 19, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., all gatherings of 25 persons or more, or gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons, are prohibited. This Order shall apply to all gatherings, events or activities that bring 25 or more persons in a single room or single space at the same time.
- Effective today, March 19, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., all beaches shall be closed. For purposes of this section, the tern “beach” means the sandy shoreline area abutting the Gulf of Mexico, whether privately or publicly owned, including beach access points.
- Effective Friday, March 20, 2020, all Senior Citizen Center gatherings shall be closed. Senior Citizen Centers and their partners are urged to assure that their clients continue to receive needed meals via curbside pick-up or delivery.
- Effective at the close of school or business today, March 19, 2020, the following shall be closed:
- All schools, public and private, including but not limited to: elementary, secondary, postsecondary, technical, or specialty schools, and colleges and universities. This school closure order is not intended to prevent any employers from making continued necessary staffing decisions. Employers are authorized to advise employees to work from home or maintain flexible work schedules. If working from home is not feasible, the employee should practice social distancing, maintaining consistent six-foot distance between persons, for the duration of this order and follow public health guidelines.
- Preschools and childcare centers.
- This shall not apply to childcare centers operated for the exclusive benefit of essential employees of the following categories of employers: State and Local
Governments, First Responders (including EMS and Fire Services), Law Enforcement,
Hospitals, Nursing Home/Long Tenn Care Facilities (including Assisted Living and
Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities), End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Centers, Pharmacies and Grocery Stores. For this exception to apply, the childcare center must be employer-operated and located on the premises of, or in the immediate vicinity of, one of these enumerated categories of employers, and a parent or guardian of each child shall be readily available. The childcare center must meet local and state fire and health requirements.
- This shall also not apply to licensed childcare centers that contract to provide services exclusively to the above-named employers, or that provide services exclusively to children of essential employees of the above-named employers.
- This shall also not apply to daytime special activities progams provided by local boards of education for children of essential employees of the above-named employers if those children were between the ages of 6 and 12 as of March 13, 2020.
- In the childcare centers and special activities programs addressed in (1), (2), and (3) above, no more than 11 children shall be allowed in any one room at the same time, and operators of these centers and programs are encouraged to use enhanced sanitation practices consistent with guidance from the CDC and the Alabama Public Department of Public Health.
- Effective immediately, all Hospitals and Nursing Home/Long Term Care Facilities (including Assisted Living and Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities) shall prohibit visitation of all visitors and non-essential health care personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations such as maternity and end-of-life.
- Effective immediately, all elective dental and medical procedures shall be delayed.
- Effective today, March 19, 2020, at 5:00 P.M., all restaurants, bars, breweries, or similar establishments shall not permit on-premises consumption of food or drink.
- Such establishments may continue to offer food for take-out or delivery provided the social distancing protocols including maintaining a consistent six-foot distance between persons are followed.
- Such establishments are strongly encouraged to offer online ordering and curbside pick-up of food.
- Hospital food service areas are excluded from this order provided they have their own social distancing plan.
- If organizers or sponsors of otherwise suspended events desire, they may submit a request for an exemption from this order, at the discretion of the State Health Officer. While the State Health Officer is under no obligation to grant such an exemption, it shall be fairly considered based on the following criteria:
- Effective measures have been taken to identify those attending the event who may potentially be affected with COVID-19, including but not limited to personal testing for the disease or submission of current medical clearances to the organizer.
- Effective measures have been taken to prevent the spread of infection even by those that are infected while not symptomatic, including the provision of antiinfection measures such as proper facemasks, personal sanitation measures, and other measures that may be considered proper.
Requests for an exemption must be submitted AT LEAST two weeks in advance of any scheduled event.
- Prior to April 6, 2020, a determination shall be made whether to extend this Order.
Upon the effective dates and times set forth above, this Order supersedes all orders previously issued by the State Health Officer and Jefferson and Mobile County Health Officers, and shall remain in full force and effect until rescinded by order of the State Health Officer. The Jefferson and Mobile County Health Officers are authorized, after consultation with the State Health Officer, to implement more stringent measures as local circumstances require.
Done on this day of March, 2020.
Scott Harris, M.D., M.P.H.
State Health Officer
Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey
