Birmingham Will Allow Mask Rule To Expire Friday
By Sam Prickett, BirminghamWatch
Birmingham will allow its face covering ordinance to expire Friday, Mayor Randall Woodfin confirmed Tuesday. The order, which had been in place since May 1, was intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 by requiring residents to wear face coverings — such as masks, bandanas or other fabrics — while in public.
“The City of Birmingham implemented the mandatory face covering ordinance as an additional level of protection as the state began the phased reopening process,” Woodfin said in a press release. “I want to thank the people of Birmingham for following the law. The ordinance raised the level of awareness to the importance of wearing a face covering when in public and within six feet of other people.”
Woodfin added that, while the ordinance will expire Friday, Birmingham residents “must not let our guard down.”
“Public health leaders say that covering your nose and mouth is a critical tool to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. I urge everyone to keep social distancing, wear face coverings in public, and do what you can to limit the spread.”
Representatives for Woodfin did not specifically explain why his administration was choosing to allow the order to expire Friday, but communications director Rick Journey reemphasized that the ordinance “raised the level of awareness” of face coverings’ importance. The Birmingham City Council had, at Woodfin’s urging, twice extended the order’s deadline.
City facilities will continue to require employees and guests to wear face coverings.
Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson urged people to continue wearing a face covering regardless of whether it’s required by law, saying, “It’s about caring for others, not just yourself.”
“The City of Birmingham did a good job of getting everyone’s attention about the importance of wearing a face covering when among other people in public,” Wilson said in a statement. “Hopefully, people will continue to understand that this pandemic is far from over and that we all need to protect each other by wearing face coverings, regardless of whether there is an ordinance.”
Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier as Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel
An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center on Sunday killed one soldier and wounded 18 others, the Lebanese military said.
Jimmy O. Yang opens up about one of his deepest fears
Actor Jimmy O. Yang is learning how to take compliments. On Wild Card this week, he opens up about love languages and fears.
A photographer’s devastating documentation of El Salvador’s civil war in the 1980s
In Legacy of Lies, El Salvador 1981-1984, photojournalist Robert Nickelsberg documents how U.S. foreign policy fueled a violent 13-year civil war in El Salvador.
With talks teetering, climate negotiators struck a controversial $300 billion deal
Representatives of developing countries and climate activists were furious over the outcome, saying $300 billion annually from industrialized countries is far short of what vulnerable nations need to better protect themselves from climate change.
Alcohol poisoning deaths in Laos renew concerns about methanol. Here’s what to know
The U.S., Australia and U.K. have issued warnings for travelers in Vang Vieng after several tourists died in a suspected methanol poisoning outbreak.
Trump taps Brooke Rollins of America First Policy Institute for agriculture secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Brooke Rollins, head of the America First Policy Institute, to oversee the Department of Agriculture. She has a long history in conservative politics.
