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Order effective at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Sat., April 4

State officials issued a statewide stay-at-home order to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.

As of early this evening, there have been 1,495 confirmed cases in the state. Two confirmed cases were reported from Escambia County, Ala., according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The statewide stay-at-home order is effective at 5 p.m. tomorrow, April 4, until April 30.

Gov. Kay Ivey said in a press conference today that all residents should stay home.

“I plead with you, I urge you in the strongest way possible, we’ve got to take this deadly virus seriously,” she said. “Otherwise, in fact, more people will die.”

The stay-at-home order is effective except for residents to perform essential activities, including leaving the home to acquire food and other consumer goods necessary to the person’s daily routine or to maintain the safety, sanitation and routine operation of a home or residence; supplies needed to work from home; pharmaceutical prescriptions or other medical supplies; fuel for vehicles and other vehicle supplies; materials for distance learning or other education-related purposes; and any other supplies necessary to maintain a person’s or pet’s daily routine or to maintina the safety, sanitation and routine operation of a home or residence.

According to an ADPH release, essential businesses and operations, listed below, must take all reasonable steps to avoid gatherings of 10 persons or more and maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons:

·        Essential government functions

·        Health-care providers and caregivers

·        Essential infrastructure

·        Manufacturing facilities

·        Agricultural operations and farms,

·        Essential retailers

·        Essential services

·        Media operations

·        Education operations

·        Financial services

·        Professional services

·        Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantages populations

·        Construction and construction-related services

·        Essential public services

·        Military or defense operations

·        Essential services or product providers

·        Religious entities

·        Federally designated critical infrastructure

·        Other state-designated essential businesses and operations

The full order can be read here.