State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris Archives • Page 2 of 3 • Alabama Political Reporter

Nearly 300 Alabamians have died of COVID-19 in the first weeks of August

The Alabama Department of Public Health over the weekend confirmed five additional deaths from COVID-19, raising the state’s death toll to 1,830. At least 299 of the deaths have been reported in the first half of August. The state of Alabama averaged 21 COVID-19 deaths per day through the first two weeks of August. In … Continued

August 14, 2020

Alabama restaurants, bars, salons can begin opening Monday, governor says

Gov. Kay Ivey said Friday that she will relax more provisions in her “safer-at-home” order amid the COVID-19 crisis, including allowing restaurants, bars, gyms, barbershops and salons to reopen with social-distancing restrictions. The new order goes into effect Monday, May 11, at 5 p.m. and is set to expire on Friday, May 22, at 5 … Continued

May 8, 2020

Gov. Ivey should follow doctor’s orders, not Sen. Marsh’s

When a doctor prescribes a prescription, they usually tell you to take the whole thing and not to stop just because the symptoms go away. The reason is because, even though the symptoms may have gone away, the illness is not necessarily dead yet. The same holds true for this current pandemic. Right now we … Continued

April 15, 2020

AG establishes response teams to answer official and public questions about state health orders

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced today the establishment of response teams within the Attorney General’s Office to provide authoritative answers to law enforcement, public officials, businesses, employees and residents of Alabama concerning enforcement and compliance of the State Health Order relating to the coronavirus pandemic issued by Governor Kay Ivey and State Health Officer … Continued

April 10, 2020

Success in Coronavirus response must be defined and coordinated

Isn’t it amazing to see the grandstanders who show up in a crisis that have the luxury of not having to own a plan? I’ve heard a bevy of pundits and those not actually in charge of anything (elected and unelected) shouting that the sky is falling. None of them have offered a solution other … Continued

March 31, 2020

Governor: Ban on gatherings of 25 or more does not apply to businesses

Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health said Friday that a public health order issued Thursday is not meant to apply to work-related gatherings of 25 people or more. “In order to keep Alabama going, we must keep Alabama businesses going to the best of our abilities,” Ivey said. “I fully support … Continued

March 20, 2020

Gov. Kay Ivey closes beaches, expands restaurant restrictions statewide

UPDATE: Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health said Friday that this public health order issued Thursday is not meant to apply to work-related gatherings of 25 people or more. Read more about how this applies to businesses here. Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health on Thursday issued … Continued

March 19, 2020

Alabama governor announces new primary runoff election date

Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday said the primary runoff election, which will include the headline race for the GOP nomination for Senate, will be held on July 14, 2020, over concerns surrounding the health and safety of Alabamians voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary election was scheduled for March 31. “Exercising my extraordinary powers … Continued

March 18, 2020

More restaurant, bar limitations and public health measures ordered across Central Alabama

For more information about the closures, visit this page. Restaurants, bars, breweries and other foodservice establishments across six Central Alabama counties will no longer be allowed to serve food or drinks on-premises for at least a week. The order will take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The new public health guidelines come as the number … Continued

March 17, 2020