On May 1, the City of Birmingham will begin requiring all people who go out in public to wear an item that covers their face.

The order is an effort to reduce coronavirus cases as many Birmingham residents will soon begin returning to work.

The city council of Alabama’s largest city approved the ordinance unanimously on Tuesday.

According to the city, medical-grade masks are not required, but the items worn must cover both the mouth and nose.

The coverings are not required for people engaging in outdoor exercise or by children under two years of age.

The ordinance appears to have been passed in anticipation of Governor Kay Ivey’s new State Health Order that will allow retail businesses to resume operations starting Friday morning.

Exceptions to the mask-wearing requirement, according to a post on the city’s website, are as follows:

• Face coverings are not required to be worn over the face during individual outdoor exercise, for example, walking or jogging, but must be worn when encountering and interacting with groups of other people in a park or other public place.
• Children two years of age and under, as face coverings or masks may pose a risk of choking, strangulation or suffocation to infants and young toddlers. Carriers and strollers with coverings that allow the child to breathe comfortably are alternatives for infants and young toddlers. Parents and guardians shall be responsible for ensuring proper masking of children over the age of two years when in public but must ensure that the face covering does not pose a choking hazard for children and can be safely worn without obstructing a child’s ability to breathe. Parents and guardians shall exercise judgment and avoid bringing children not wearing masks into public places, especially where contact with vulnerable individuals is expected.
• Patients in examination rooms of medical or dental offices or clinics or hospitals where there is a necessity to examine or treat the mouth or nasal area, subject to the direction of the medical or dental professionals in charge of the office, clinic or hospital.
• When wearing a face covering poses a greater mental or physical health, safety or security risk such as anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance.

Birmingham businesses are not being required to provide masks for their employees.

The city is directing those who would like to fashion a cheap mask from household materials to the CDC’s website.

The full ordinance can be read here.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95