Following Gov. Kay Ivey’s announcement that the state’s mask requirement will expire for good on April 9, East Alabama Medical Center said that masks will still be required inside its hospitals and facilities in Opelika and Valley, Alabama.
Ivey announced on Thursday that while she is extending the mask mandate through April 9, she will not be extending it beyond that date, and instead encourages residents to continue to take precautions out of personal responsibility. Shortly after, EAMC released a statement on Facebook.
“We firmly believe that masks play a pivotal role in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said EAMC spokesman John Atkinson. “Right now, only about 15 percent of Alabamians have received one vaccine dose, and fewer who are fully vaccinated. There are still many variables in play, such as speed of the vaccine rollout, acceptance of the vaccine, and how the variants behave in the weeks ahead, especially if fewer people are masked.”
EAMC started requiring masks prior to the state’s mandate and plans to do so for the foreseeable future, Atkinson said.
“Given the current vaccination count, we still [have] a ways to go before reaching herd immunity, which most health experts agree needs to be at least 50% of the population,” Atkinson said. “We will continue to encourage mask-wearing, social distancing and good hand hygiene beyond April 9.”
Several retail locations across the country such as Starbucks and Target have also announced masks will still be required in their stores after state mask mandates have expired.
According to the release, EAMC has delivered over 40,000 COVID-19 vaccines as of publication.
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Evan Mealins, senior in philosophy and economics, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
