Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday extended the state’s mask mandate for a month but said that she would not keep it in place beyond April 9.
The move comes after decisions from Texas and Mississippi to lift mask mandates and fully open businesses drew pushback from public health experts and President Joe Biden, who criticized the moves as “a big mistake.”
Ivey said that while coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in Alabama have declined, it is not yet time to lift the mask requirement.
“While I’m convinced a mask mandate has been the right thing to do, I also respect those who object and believe this was a step too far in government overreach,” Ivey said.
She tweeted that “more Alabamians need to get their 1st shot before we take a step some other states have taken to remove the mask order altogether & lift all restrictions.”
More than 9% of the adult population in Alabama has been fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Across the country, just over 10% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated.
Source US news and World Report
ARTICLE SUBMITTED BY, Adamas.
