Ivey relaxes pandemic guidelines

BY MOLLIE S. WATERS

The Greenville Standard

 

During her press conference on Friday, Alabama’s Governor Kay Ivey announced she would be lifting more of the COVID-19 quarantine regulations that have been in place for the past two months.

“We do believe it’s okay to expand these orders and provide additional opportunity for people to go back to work,” Ivey said.

The new guidelines went into effect on Monday and will continue through May 22.

In short, the main things that have changed are restaurants, bars and breweries can re-open for dine-in services, but the six-feet of social distancing rules must be observed.

Church services are also allowed again because the new guidelines remove the 10-person gathering limit. Yet, the same six-feet of distance must be observed.

Close-contact service providers, including barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, and tattoo services, may also open with social distancing and sanitation rules to be followed.

Alabama’s beaches are also now fully open with no limit on gatherings, but again, with the same six-feet of separation must be adhered.

In addition, athletic facilities, such as fitness centers and commercial gyms, may open subject to social-distancing and sanitation rules and guidelines.

However, specified athletic activities are still not allowed.

Other entertainment venues and events such as bowling alleys, night clubs, and theaters are to remained closed for the present.

Governor Ivey has made these changes even though the number of positive cases of COVID-19 continue to surge in Alabama.

“The threat of this disease continues to be active and it is deadly,” she acknowledged.

On Monday at 5 p.m., the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Butler County was 193 with six deaths reported.

No one is immune to contracting the illness. In fact, Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon recently announced that he and his wife have both tested positive for the illness.

For more information about COVID-19 cases in Alabama, visit https://alpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7.