MONTGOMERY-On Thursday, January 21, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is extending a state mask order that was set to expire Friday. In opening her press conference Governor Ivey said she would work with the Biden administration for the benefit of all. The current Safer At Home Order was set to expire on Friday, January 22 at 5PM.
The governor acknowledged that there is still not enough vaccine for all people who would like to get one. Ivey said no state is in that position to vaccine all of its citizens.
Dr. Harris said the state of Alabama has 165 phone lines but the majority of calls to it are coming from people who are not yet eligible. Dr. Harris urged people who are not yet eligible for a vaccine to not call and clog the appointment phone lines.
Harris said the staff of the Alabama Department of Health is working to be faster in getting vaccines in to arms. He said vaccines are not sitting on shelves. He said county departments are under instructions to give vaccines all day long until their allotment is exhausted.
During her press conference, Ivey announced her decision to extend the order to March 5 at 5 p.m. This is Governor Ivey’s 22nd supplemental state of emergency proclamation in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Here is a general breakdown of what is included in the new order:
Section 1: Extending the statewide “Safer at Home” health order. The proclamation extends the current state health order through 5:00 p.m. on March 5. No substantive changes have been made to the order’s requirements.
Section 2: Administration of municipal elections. The proclamation grants flexibility to municipalities conducting elections in recruiting poll workers and in administering poll-worker training. In so doing, it extends similar provisions issued for the August 25, 2020 municipal elections to other municipal elections conducted during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Section 3: Administration of state elections. The proclamation grants similar flexibility in recruiting poll workers and in administering poll-worker training to probate judges conducting state elections (such as special legislative elections). As in the case of municipal elections, the proclamation extends election-administration measures that were previously issued for specific elections to other state elections conducted during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Twenty-second Supplemental Emergency Proclamation
