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Birmingham City Council approves ‘shelter in place’ ordinance to slow COVID-19

The Birmingham City Council has approved a “shelter in place” ordinance to combat the spread of COVID-19. The order goes into effect immediately and runs until April 3.

Under the ordinance, residents will be asked to remain at home and only leave for essential purposes. Those purposes include work; visiting essential businesses like grocery stores, financial institutions and gas stations; retrieving curbside pickup from restaurants; attending doctor’s appointments; and exercising outside, including biking, hiking and running – as long as six feet of social distancing is used.

If a business or place of employment is not specifically listed as non-essential by the Jefferson County Health Department, then that organization is cleared to operate by practicing social distancing and health protocols as stated by the Jefferson County Health Department. In those cases, if businesses decide to continue offering services they should use their best judgment to keep their employees and patrons safe, which may include teleworking.

During a news conference on Tuesday, Mayor Randall Woodfin expressed concern about the exponential increase in the number of COVID-19 patients over the past several days. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has reported 45 confirmed cases so far, up from 17 cases one day prior.

View the ordinance and a list of non-essential businesses below.

2020.3.24.City of Birmingham.Shelter In Place Ordinance.Final