The Yellowhammer State is now five days away from the expiration of Governor Kay Ivey’s stay-at-home order.
Neighboring states Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi have all either started the reopening process or have outlined their plans for doing so.
“We’ve hurt the economy enough.” Appearing on The Dale Jackson Show on Friday morning, State Sen. Arthur Orr spoke those words and outlined how he does not think the state should wait until May 1 to begin reopening. He told host Dale Jackson, “I’ve certainly been promoting sooner rather than later.”
Orr advocated for an immediate opening of some businesses with the agreed upon social distancing and sanitizing measures in place. He emphasized, “You do not have a lot of density as far as people in a furniture store or a clothing store or a jewelry store and all of these that have been shut down for weeks now. They need to be allowed to open back up.”
Glimpse into the near future. If you want to know what businesses will look like with cautionary procedures in place, watch this video of a Georgia hair salon owner explaining how she will protect her customers and employees. (Viewing tip: She recorded it vertically so you may need to watch in full screen mode)
What did you see? Two things were evident in this video. First, there is the excitement from a business owner finally enjoying the freedom of operating her business again. Secondly, hair salons and barbershops are going to be important pieces in reopening. There are a lot of men and women who are not going back to work until they get a haircut.
Don’t forget about doctors, too. Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) earlier this week called for the immediate reopening of hospitals for elective surgeries.
Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth on Friday shared a note he received from an Alabama physician making the case for a reopening of the medical community.
I received the message below from a doctor who practices in Alabama. The first-hand information he shared makes a strong case for where we stand today. I have withheld his name as a courtesy: pic.twitter.com/I8XJJEAWsb
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) April 24, 2020
Doctors and dentists across the state have been idle for weeks. Like the hair salon owner in Georgia, their offices will have to accommodate patients through entirely new procedures. Contained in their 150-page plan for reopening, Ainsworth and his task force outlined the type of protocols these offices will have to put in place to operate. Requirements may include electronic checkout from home rather than in person. And any doctors’ orders at the end of a visit will be given to patients when they still have their gloves on.
In reopening Alabama, the small details will matter.
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
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