7 Things: Ivey says no more shutdowns, Alabama lawmaker who had coronavirus warns others, more recounts and more …

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November 19, 2020

7. Congress has the coronavirus

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced that he’s tested positive for the coronavirus and will be following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on quarantining. He’s said that he’s “feeling good.”
Grassley isn’t the only one. Thirty-plus members of Congress are presumed to have the coronavirus. Alabama’s U.S. Representative for the Fourth Congressional District Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) is self-quarantining.

6. Cruises out of Mobile canceled until March

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that their cruises that normally leave from the Port of Mobile will be canceled until at least March 1, 2021. This was part of widespread cancellations from the cruise line.
These decisions were made due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the company had already shut down operations on November 4. The earliest the company might resume sending cruise liners out is February 1 from either Miami or Port Canaveral.

5. New grant program for small businesses

Revive Plus, a new grant program for small businesses across Alabama which is funded through $200 million of the CARES Act funding that the state received, was announced by Governor Kay Ivey.
Grants will be for up to $20,000 for expenses that are related to the pandemic. When announcing the program, Ivey said, “A second round of assistance through Revive Plus will ensure that the small business owners who have borne the brunt of the downed economy can be made as whole as possible.”

4. State Senator McClendon stresses severity of coronavirus

After being hospitalized for about 10 days with the coronavirus, State Senator Jim McClendon (R-Springville) has a message of caution as cases across the state continue to rise. McClendon said the chances of coming into contact with someone who is asymptomatic “is the highest it’s ever been in Alabama.”
The state lawmaker pointed out that the care he received in the hospital was because there was “a protocol to follow” with treatment, which didn’t exist as much earlier in the year. He also has said that he tried “to be careful but boy it nailed me anyway.”

3. 2020 election results chaos continues

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has said they plan to file a petition to have a recount in Milwaukee and Dane County, Wisconsin, where the campaign has alleged ballots were illegally altered and government officials gave improper or illegal advice on voter IDs. Former Vice President Joe Biden won Wisconsin by 20,608 votes with a goal of closing the gap, showing fraud and opening the door to more challenges.
Meanwhile, more uncounted votes were found in Georgia and the election board in Wayne County, Michigan, that would not certify their votes and then did, has decided they would rather not.

2. Schools in Alabama and beyond closing

Just before New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that public city schools would be shutting down, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was busy fighting with a reporter and saying there was no way schools would shut down, but he was wrong.
Alabama schools across the state are closing as well. Some are closed for a week because of Thanksgiving; some will be closed for a longer period, which is not good. Grades are down and 5,000 students have apparently disappeared.

1. Ivey won’t shut Alabama down again

Governor Kay Ivey has officially said that she doesn’t have plans to send Alabama into another lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ivey just plainly said she “will not shut down businesses.”
To the relief of many, Ivey added, “[T]he business community certainly has my support. As I’ve said many times, you cannot have a life without a livelihood.” This comes one day after the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) started their “Keep Alabama Open” push.