Gov. Ivey Eases COVID-19 Restrictions On More Businesses, Venues

MONTGOMERY, AL — Gov. Kay Ivey Thursday took the next step toward opening the state by loosening some restrictions on certain businesses and venues. Entertainment venues, athletic facilities, educational facilities, and recreational facilities are allowed to open with social distancing restrictions.

"This is the next step in what seems like a long and difficult process of opening the state," Ivey said. "Our numbers are not as good as we would hope. We cannot sustain a delayed way of life as we search for a vaccine. It's time we move forward and incorporate COVID-19 precautions into our routine."

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Ivey said this new stage in the reopening of the state begins Friday, May 22 and runs through July 3. "If things don't get worse, then we will move forward with placing personal responsibility in adhering to social distancing," Ivey said. "The drastic measures of the last two months have been to slow the spread. Obviously some parts of the state are seeing higher rates than others."

Ivey said the state has inked a deal with Google and Apple to use their contact tracing app.

The new guidelines are as follows:

"We're not out of the woods, we still have disease transmission, still a lot of care we need to take," state health director Dr. Scott Harris said. "What we anticipate over next few months is a rotation of hot spots or surge around the state."

Harris said the goal is to test 2 percent of the population, and the Alabama Department of Public Health is doing that in all but about 10 counties.

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