Governor signs public health emergency; closing ‘non-essentials’
On the recommendation of Alabama's State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state public health emergency and ordered 33 businesses deemed 'non-essential' and ordered them closed to non-employees beginning at 5 p.m. this past Saturday.
In the order signed Friday, Gov. Ivey said the it will remain in full effect until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 17. She did note that a decision would be made at that time on whether or not to extend the order.
The order stated that beginning at 5 p.m. this past Saturday “All non-work related gatherings of 10 persons or more, or non-work related gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent 6-foot distance between persons, are prohibited”.
The order also prohibits all restaurants, bars, breweries, or similar establishments from allowing on-premises consumption of food or drink. Those businesses will be allowed to continue to offer food for take-out or delivery, providing the social distancing of maintaining a consistent 6-foot distance between persons are followed.
The entertainment venues ordered closed by the governor's office are: night clubs; bowling alleys; arcades, concert venues; theaters, auditoriums and performing arts centers; tourist attractions that include museums and planetariums; racetracks; indoor children's play areas; adult entertainment venues; casinos; bingo halls; and venues operated by social clubs.
Athletic facilities and activities ordered closed are: fitness centers and commercial gyms; spas and public or commercial swimming pools; yoga, barre and spin facilities; spectator sports; sports that involve interaction with another person of closer than 6 feet; activities that require use of shared sporting apparatus and equipment; and activities on commercial or public playground equipment.
Close-contact service providers ordered closed are: barber shops; hair salons; waxing salons; threading salons; nail salons and spas; body art facilities and tattoo services; tanning salons; and massage therapy establishments and massage services.
Retail stores ordered closed are: furniture and home furnishings stores; clothing, shoe and clothing accessory stores; jewelry, luggage and leather goods stores; department stores; sporting goods stores; and book, craft and music stores.
The order also closes all beaches to mean “the sandy shoreline area abutting the Gulf of Mexico, whether privately or publicly owned, including beach access points.
Although the order also closes all senior citizens centers, operators are urged to assure that their participants continue to receive meals by either curbside pickup or delivery.
The order also closes all in-person instruction or classes at all schools, public and private.
Although the order does not close facilities providing day care, center employees are encouraged to use enhanced sanitation and social distancing practices consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities shall prohibit all visitors, except for certain compassionate care situations such as maternity and end-of-life.
All non-emergency dental, medical or surgical procedures are also canceled by the order with some exceptions.
Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant, Jr., said the town is taking every precaution possible to insure the safety of the citizens during the crisis.
He noted that town hall is closed, but people can still access town hall through the drive-thru window or by calling 251-296-2431.
“Our police department is hands on deck, our utility department is continuing to maintain utility services and answering calls and our fire department is staffed,” Bondurant said. “As others have said, we are in unchartered territory right now with the virus.”
“I want to assure you that we are making the best decisions we can to protect our citizens and to maintain essential services,” Bondurant added. “We, as a community, need to continue to practice safe distancing, wash your hands and be mindful of others. We'll get through this together.”
Brewton Mayor Yank Lovelace echoed Bondurant's statements saying steps taken by the city were not taken lightly, but taken to protect the citizens.
“We find ourselves faced with the most daunting challenge of a lifetime with little historical reference to guide us,” Lovelace said. “Even so, the city continues to provide services to residents here and assistance on every level possible to keep people safe.”
“City office staff work remotely whenever possible, and those in the field practice social distancing,” Lovelace added. “Each department records the temperature of workers as they arrive, and everyone is helping to practice sanitization of shared spaces. Public access to the offices is restricted and we have encouraged people to pay utilities on line with no added fee.”
Lovelace also said municipal court proceedings have been suspended and the city has been forced to close playground areas as well as beach areas in the parks.
“However, many projects are continuing,” Lovelace said. “Construction of the city pool is ongoing, trash pickup continues and maintenance of public areas will continue. Firefighters and police have structured work schedules so people here are safe. That will not change.” “The city has contributed to Backpack Buddies to help children get fed, we expanded WiFi access in all parks and at the library parking lot to help students, even though the library building was forced t o close,” Lovelace said. “City officials stay in contact with state and federal authorities to keep current on this unprecedented health crisis. We are partnering with community groups and individuals to help meet needs in our city.”
“The way we do things will be different for a while, but Brewton is a special place with tenacious people who give and volunteer to help each other through,” Lovelace said. “Floods didn't change that, previous epidemics didn't, wars didn't change that, the Great Depression didn't change that and we will see each other through this crisis too. I encourage people to be safe, take care of your families and your neighbors and we will emerge even stronger.”
