Birmingham radio’s Matt Murphy, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris clash over not reopening churches, restaurants

For many, Gov. Kay Ivey’s announcement on Tuesday to roll back some of the coronavirus restrictions on commerce was welcomed news as it means many businesses can reopen, just with some manageable limits.

However, churches and other venues of worship, along with restaurants, bars and breweries, have facilities that must remain closed until further notice from the state of Alabama.

Wednesday on his Talk 99.5 radio show broadcasted in Birmingham, Matt Murphy challenged Alabama State Health Officer Scott Harris on these requirements and asked him to justify how those institutions are to remain closed while some big-box retailers that draw sizeable crowds can remain open.

One of the initial points of contention for Murphy was the determination that churches were more of a risk than large retail facilities, according to Harris.

Exchange as follows:

MURPHY: Have you been to Home Depot or Lowes lately?

HARRIS: I was there, maybe the weekend before last —

MURPHY: You’ve seen the activity going on there?

HARRIS: Yeah, yeah — there’s a lot of people in the parking lot.

MURPHY: Help me understand why, or was there a consideration with regard to, for example, churches? How is it you don’t feel that churches can maintain a six-feet distance interrelations in their sanctuaries, but a Walmart or Home Depot can?

HARRIS: I don’t think I would make that statement in that way. I think churches are something the governor has made clear she wants information on. As I know you probably saw yesterday — I think it is her own pastor, but she has people involved about trying to make guidelines about when churches need to resume activity. I would say it is probably true at least, as I’ve gone to church, that it’s a little bit different environment. There’s a lot more contact. You know, people hug each other and shake hands, and kiss —

MURPHY: Hold on now — not to interrupt you, but there doesn’t have to be.

HARRIS: Right, there doesn’t have to be but practically speaking, I think there is. Changing human behavior is actually what all health orders are about.

MURPHY: Guess what? There naturally has to be human interaction and human contact at Walmart and Home Depot, too, Doctor. I mean, we’re in the business of picking winners and losers with this new order.

HARRIS: I still think it’s different in a church environment. I don’t think that’s the same kind of interaction people have, you know when they see strangers in a retail store. It’s a little bit different environment. Obviously, churches have to be back to normal. We have to get that back open again as soon as possible. But you know, some of our more significant outbreaks we have seen have been in the setting of those kinds of things — look, nobody thinks Alabamians are going to go forever without having marriages or having funerals or having worship services. So clearly, that has got to change.

But you know, it’s really difficult to get people to stay six feet apart, and wear masks and not touch each other, no matter what. And it’s particularly hard in those kinds of services.

Later in the segment, Murphy challenged Harris on not ending the state’s order on restaurants as well.

Exchange as follows:

MURPHY: Restaurants have obviously been hard hit, the service industry — restaurants, bars, breweries those kinds of establishments. You continue the order that onsite promise consumption of food or beverage is not allowed. Help me understand why.

HARRIS: I think restaurants and also bars, in particular, are places where people spend a lot of time. They typically, you know, not necessarily don’t have to be indoors, but typically are indoors. It’s a pretty commonplace for people to meet who aren’t in the same family. And people are literally sharing food or maybe even drinks. They are sharing things they are consuming and restaurants are a higher risk category than you know, your regular retail store, for example —

MURPHY: Based on what research, sir?

HARRIS: I think it’s just common sense that if you’re a physician and you understand how disease gets transmitted — I think everybody would agree with that.

MURPHY: Then why — so you’re saying it is common sense that restaurants are naturally prone to more interaction?

HARRIS: Yeah, I think that is correct. Do you not think that?

MURPHY: Once again, have you been to Home Depot? Have you seen the people at Home Depot? I have on multiple occasions. They’re within six feet of one another all the time, all over the place. They’re violating these ordinances all over the place. There are more people at Walmart than you can shake a stick at right now because so many other retail establishments have been closed until the end of this week.

Do you understand that certain businesses are failing? People’s livelihoods are gone, Doctor, because of, quote, “common sense.”

There are families that are going bankrupt because of your order. I’m asking why you don’t allow those restaurants to demonstrate they can do it the right way?

Harris went on to explain he was aware of the difficulties, but argued he was doing the state of Alabama under his direction was trying to do the most good for people by keeping their health and safety protected.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Huntsville’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.