Alabama - COVID-19 Covered

ECONOMIC RESPONSE

Essential Service Designations:

According to an executive order issued by Governor Ivey, the following businesses and services are considered to be essential (April 3):
- Government Operations and Public Services (such as first responders and emergency services, law enforcement, the courts, child services, sanitation)
- Healthcare Providers (such as physicians, dentists, mental health workers, nursing homes)
- Infrastructure Operations (such as utilities, gas stations, airports, transit)
- Manufacturing Facilities (such as food processing, pharmaceutical companies)
- Agricultural Operations and Farms
- Retailers (such as supermarkets, liquor stores, gun stores)
- Restaurants and Bars
- Personal Services (such as trash collection, mail, shipping services)
- Media Operations (such as newspapers, television, radio)
- Education Operations (such as public and private schools; colleges and universities)
- Financial Services (such as banks, credit unions, payday lenders)
- Professional Services (such as lawyers, accountants, real estate)
- Religious and Charitable Organizations
- Construction

Labor & Workforce Guidance, Standards and Regulations:

The state ordered employers to “take all reasonable steps” to meet social distancing standards (consistent six-foot distance between persons) for employees and customers. (March 20)

Economic Stimulus & Relief:

Governor Ivey awarded almost $2.9 million to help Walker County and four north Alabama counties recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with $288,200 going to Walker to purchase medical equipment. (June 11)
Governor Ivey awarded nearly $2.9 million to help five north Alabama counties recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (June 4)
Governor Ivey awarded a total of $770,000 to help three counties and one city in their efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (June 3)
Governor Ivey awarded nearly $1.2 million to further assist five counties in continuing their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. (June 1)
Governor Ivey awarded nearly $1.2 million to further assist five counties in continuing their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. (May 28)
Governor Ivey awarded $1.2 million to assist three counties in south-central Alabama in their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for future outbreaks of any infectious diseases. (May 21)
Governor Ivey announced several new community development block grants to assist counties in overcoming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. (May 19)
Governor Ivey awarded a total of $2 million to the City of Huntsville and Colbert County to help those communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (May 12)
Governor Ivey announced that Alabama would end its participation in all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs effective June 19. (May 10)
Governor Ivey awarded a total of $4.5 million to help four of Alabama’s most populous cities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (May 5)
Governor Ivey awarded a $750,000 grant to help the City of Auburn recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (April 28)
Governor Ivey announced Revive Plus, a $200 million-dollar grant program to support small businesses, non-profits, and faith-based organizations in Alabama that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revive Plus is the second wave of funding for these organizations with 50 or fewer employees and will award grants of up to $20,000 for expenses they have incurred due to operational interruptions caused by the pandemic and related business closures. (November 18)
Governor Ivey announced that Alabama has been awarded $17.8 million to provide opportunities for workers that have been displaced by COVID-19 to develop new skills in high demand industries. (September 29)
Governor Ivey announced $35 million in CARES Act funds to establish the Alabama Health Care & Emergency Response Providers grant program. (September 24)
Governor Ivey awarded $10 million of CARES Act funding to support the revitalization of Alabama’s tourism industry. (September 14)

Business Support & Resources:

Governor Ivey signed three bills into law to help businesses in Alabama, including a bill that would exempt CARES Act funding from state taxation. (February 12)
Governor Ivey announced a $26 million allocation of CARES Act funding to the Alabama Agriculture Stabilization Program. (August 12)
Governor Ivey announced a $50 million grant program to support nonprofit and faith-based organizations that have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (August 6)
Governor Ivey announced a $100 million-dollar “Revive Alabama” program that will provide grants to small businesses across the state. (July 9)
Governor Ivey issued her ninth Supplemental State of Emergency providing operating loans and lines of credit financing to rural electric cooperatives, among other provisions. (May 8)
Governor Ivey issued her eighth Supplemental State of Emergency, providing liability protections for some businesses, among other provisions. (May 8)

SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS

Reopening:

Governor Ivey signed a bill that would ban businesses and institutions across the state from requiring COVID-19 vaccination passports. (May 24)
Governor Ivey announced that Alabama’s COVID-19 public health order would end on May 31, and that the state of emergency would end on July 6. (May 3)
Governor Ivey issued her 26th supplemental emergency proclamation transitioning the state from an amended Safer at Home Order to a new Safer Apart Order, the third phase of COVID-19 pandemic health orders. (April 7)
Governor Ivey issued her 25th supplemental emergency proclamation to further amend the recently extended Safer at Home order. (March 22)
Governor Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health announced that ADPH would extend eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations to include people 55 years of age and older, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the population defined as Allocation Phase 1c in the Alabama Vaccine Allocation Plan. (March 11)
Governor Ivey announced that the Alabama National Guard will be deployed to rural areas in the state to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. (March 10)
Governor Ivey issued an emergency proclamation extending the Safer at Home Order until April 9, which includes a statewide mask mandate. (March 5)
As part of a statewide effort to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination in Alabama, mass vaccination clinics will be held in each of the state’s public health districts the week of February 8. (February 5)
Governor Ivey extended the statewide mask mandate until March 5. (January 22)
Alabama has partnered with Walmart to help distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. (January 21)
Governor Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health announced that ADPH will provide COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 years old or older, as well as first responders, including law enforcement and firefighters, statewide by appointment only, effective January 18. (January 8)
Nursing homes across Alabama began receiving shipments of COVID-19 vaccines. (December 29)
Three Alabama facilities received their first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. (December 14)
Governor Ivey extended the Alabama Safe at Home order. (December 10)
The Alabama Department of Public Health announced it was working to implement a reduced quarantine period for persons who may have been exposed to COVID-19. (December 4)
Governor Ivey issued her nineteenth supplemental emergency proclamation, which included an amended statewide mask mandate. Under the order, individuals would be required to wear a mask or other facial covering when in public and in close contact with other people. The amended mandate will be in effect until December 11 at 5:00PM. (November 5)
The Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board voted to order all restaurants and bars to stop serving alcohol at 11:00PM, even if they stay open beyond that time. (July 27)

SCHOOL PLANNING

K-12:

Governor Ivey issues statement urging school systems to return for in-person learning. (December 1)
High schools across Alabama are limiting the number of spectators allowed at high school sports this fall. (August 16)
The Alabama High School Athletic Association said spectators will be allowed to attend football games and other athletic events, but attendance likely will be significantly reduced. (August 7)
Schools in Alabama will be permitted to reopen this fall, but students in the 2nd grade and above will be required to wear facial coverings while in school. (July 29)
State Superintendent Eric Mackey announced that all Alabama public schools are set to reopen on time unless local school boards or the governor chooses otherwise. (June 26)
Governor Ivey announced that students in grades 7 to 12 can go back into the classroom for summer school programs starting on June 1. (May 21)
State School Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey’s phased-reopening plan reportedly calls for distance learning for the remainder of the school year, but will possibly allow students 13 years of age and older to return to campuses in groups of 10 or less on June 8. In July, the plan would possibly allow younger students to attend in-person reading programs under the same guidelines. (May 4)

State Higher Education:

A list of Alabama colleges and universities planning to reopen in the fall can be found here.
Governor Ivey awarded $72.34 million of the Coronavirus Relief Fund for higher education institutions to support the purchase of technology and infrastructure related to remote instruction and distance learning. (September 10)
The University of Alabama and Auburn University both released plans that will limit capacity to 20 percent for all college football games this fall. (August 20)
The University of Alabama released new guidance—including disciplinary action for violating protocols—as students prepare to return to campus. (August 12)
The University of Alabama set aside 450 beds in empty dorm rooms and apartments near campus to isolate students who test positive for COVID-19 after returning to campus. (August 6)
Alabama released its plan to test more than 200,000 college students for COVID-19 before permitting them onto campuses this fall. (July 27)
The University of Alabama System plans to reopen campuses for the Fall semester. Several measures will reportedly be taken to ensure student safety affecting various aspects of campus life, including COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, PPE, housing, athletics, plans for isolation and quarantine should an outbreak occur, classroom instruction, recreation, sanitation, and Greek life. (June 9)