Statement from Mayor William E. Cooper – Response to Gov. Kay Ivey’s announcement of expanded Safer-At-Home beginning May 11
“We are extremely pleased that Gov. Kay Ivey has made the decision to allow expanded reopening opportunities for more businesses in our state and local community.
“Although we know this is not a ‘fix-all’ situation, it is a step in the right direction and gives us all hope for recovery from this horrible situation that the COVID-19 threat has put upon us.
“I am also pleased to hear from Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Erin Grantham that overall, the local restaurants that have been limited to curbside and takeout services for more than a month are encouraged that they can now open their doors to customers.
“They will be required to allow only 50 percent occupancy, as retail stores have been doing for the past week, but we feel our restaurant owners, managers and employees will operate safely and in compliance with the Governor’s health orders.
“Hair and nail salons, barber shops and gyms are also allowed to open under strict safety and sanitation guidelines.
“Like so many of you, I am happy that people can return to their houses of worship. The Governor’s office has some guidelines for churches to follow in order to protect their congregations.
“But I can’t stress enough the need for all of our businesses, churches and our individual citizens to follow all safety rules and guidelines to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. As the Governor said, the virus is still active and deadly. The threat is far from over and we must continue to be vigilant in order to slow it down and eventually overcome it completely.”
For complete information on the new orders, see the Governor’s website.