Friday on Birmingham radio Talk 99.5’s “Matt & Aunie” show, Gov. Kay Ivey explained her reasoning behind instituting a statewide mask ordinance as COVID-19 cases continue to spike around the state.
Ivey insisted the decision made by her office and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris was based on advice from government officials, including Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House’s coronavirus task force.
When asked about the efficacy of the masks by co-host Andrea Lindenberg, Ivey cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and urged listeners to “believe them” on masks.
“According to CDC, and I quote, ‘It’s the strongest tool we have in our toolbox is to wear a mask,'” she said. “That was underscored yesterday by Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force. When health folks are telling us that wearing masks is the thing to do, I think we just have to believe them.”
Lindenberg also asked if there was input from Alabama’s business community on the mask ordinance, which Ivey confirmed.
“Yes, there was, and we’re grateful to work with our business community,” Ivey replied.
When asked about enforcement, the governor downplayed the punitive aspects and said the ordinance could be used as an “opportunity to inform.”
“We’re trying so hard to do like the police chief in Spanish Fort, Chief [John] Barber, is doing,” she said. “He’s using this as an opportunity to inform his citizens about the need to wear a mask. And if they need a mask, he hands them one. This is an effort to inform people and get people to do something they ought to do. They ought not to have to be told what to do, but people are just not using good common sense when we’re facing such a crisis that we’re in with this virus. So we’re strongly recommending and encouraging with this mandate with this potential penalty — but the purpose is not to make money or to issue citations. The purpose is to get people to put on a mask and stay six feet apart.”
Ivey did say that if the situation with coronavirus continued to deteriorate, there was the possibility of rolling back the so-called safer at home order, which would lead to closures.
“We’ll certainly have to look at that, and that is something I do not want to have to do because if you’re not healthy, you can’t work,” Ivey said. “And everybody needs a livelihood to have a good life. Working and staying healthy go hand and hand, and we’ve just got to be smart about this thing. But yes, if worse comes to worst, we’ll have to walk back and take drastic measures. Wearing the mask is just the first step in that direction.”
@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.
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