In a live-streamed address on Tuesday afternoon, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin asked the Birmingham City Council to authorize a Shelter-in-Place Order for all Magic City residents.
As of 1:40 p.m on Tuesday, Jefferson County is home to 90 of Alabama’s 215 confirmed coronavirus cases, making it the state’s hardest-hit area by a large margin.
Woodfin’s proposal would require every resident in the city of Birmingham to stay in their home until April 3, with exceptions for trips to purchase “essential commodities” and to help give medical care to family members or veterinary care to pets.
A large number of Birmingham’s citizens are exempted from the order, including all people necessary for the operation of the city’s government, essential businesses and utilities among others.
A full list of exceptions can be found in the full proposal, which the mayor’s office has posted online.
A previous Public Health Order from Jefferson County’s Health Officer had already closed all non-essential businesses.
Woodfin’s shelter-in-place recommendation comes amid calls for a similar statewide order by Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels (D-Huntsville) and the Alabama House Democrats.
The council will vote on the order later Tuesday afternoon. Jefferson County residents can keep up with the latest local coronavirus-related information here.
UPDATE 5:20 p.m.
The Birmingham City Council at approximately 5:19 p.m. CT adopted the ordinance unanimously after a lengthy discussion. You can watch the meeting on the council’s Facebook page.
RELATED: Keep up with Alabama’s confirmed coronavirus cases, locations here
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
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