Health officials urge masks in schools; Gov. Ivey says no mandate

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama public health officials are recommending that all students and teachers wear masks this school year because of a surge in COVID-19 cases, but Gov. Kay Ivey said she will not issue a state mandate to do so.

The Alabama Department of Public Health will recommend universal masking in schools due to the high levels of COVID19 in the state, department spokesperson Ryan Easterling said. The recommendation will be included in the “school toolkit” suggesting guidelines to mitigate pandemic risk.

“Schools can choose to follow guidelines or not. However, these guidelines represent the best evidence available to protect students, teachers, and staff by reducing the transmission of COVID19, along with disease, potential hospitalization, and risk of death from this virus,” Easterling wrote in an email.

Ivey will not issue statewide requirement on masks, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

“The American people, Governor Ivey included, are understandably frustrated with the changing goal post and whiplash over the CDC’s COVID-19 guidance. Governor Ivey has been crystal clear on her position that there will be no mandates from the state level,” spokesperson Gina Maiola said.

Maiola said the governor believes the “current circumstances do not warrant a blanket one size fits all approach.

“Generally, it is school officials who are in charge of making decisions that work best for their school. The governor trusts these school officials to make the best decision possible using all available information,” Maiola said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status. The recommendation comes amid a sharp uptick in COVID-19 fueled by the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.

Alabama has seen a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. The number of people in state hospitals has risen to more than 1,000, the most the state has seen since winter when there were 3,000 people hospitalized at the pandemic’s peak.

Some Alabama school systems have already announced they will require students and teachers to wear masks indoors following new federal guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Bessemer and Opelika school systems are among those that have said that masks will be required indoors.