Statement in response to Ivey’s Safer at Home order

Statement applauding the decision to continue the Safer at Home Order and encouraging increased safety precautions from citizens

Alabama’s healthcare provider organizations were pleased to see the Safer at Home order extended this morning and to hear from local and state leaders about the importance of staying the course on the precautions being taken.

While all of us are suffering from quarantine and mask fatigue, now is not the time to let up. Over the past week, Alabama has added almost 6000 new COVID-19 cases, the highest 7-day total during the course of the pandemic. The number of hospitalizations are increasing, and the state has now had more than 900 deaths attributed to COVID-19. Things are not getting better. They are getting worse.

Physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and other providers have treated those with the virus while continuing to provide care to other non-COVID patients who need their help. They have worked long hours and remain dedicated to their mission of healing.

If you want to find a way to thank these selfless men and women, then do your part to stop the community spread of this disease. It’s as easy as these four steps:

· Stay at home as much as possible.

· Wear a mask when you leave your house.

· Wash your hands frequently.

· Keep at least six feet of distance between yourself and others, avoiding crowds at all costs.

We would also urge local governments in counties with rising numbers of cases to consider mask ordinances, and we thank those leaders who have already taken action to require masking.

Basically, as the Governor and others noted in the news conference this morning, it all boils down to using our common sense. The virus is real; it’s serious, and it will take all of us doing our part to control its spread.

Stated on behalf of the Alabama Hospital Association, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the Alabama Nursing Home Association