Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris have issued an order for Alabama residents to stay at home except for “essential activities” effective at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The governor announced the update to state measures to control the coronanvirus pandemic at the Capitol this afternoon.

The order states that it will remain in full force and effect until 5 p.m. on April 30. “Prior to 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 2020, a determination shall be made whether to extend this Order—or, if circumstances permit, to relax this Order.”

Ivey said she became convinced that previous efforts to control the pandemic have not been enough. She said it became obvious late Thursday afternoon that more had to be done.

“Folks, April stands to be very tough, and potentially very deadly,” the governor said.

“You need to understand we are past urging people to stay at home. It is now the law.”

Explainer: Stay at home order for Alabama: What you can and can’t do.

The order also requires people who test positive for COVID-19 to be quarantined at home for 14 days. They are not to leave home except to receive necessary medical treatment.

The Alabama Department of Public Health reports that as of Friday evening there were 1,529 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. There have been 39 deaths reported in Alabama, with 21 confirmed by the ADPH.

Here is a link to the order, which is also at the end of this article.

The governor also issued a proclamation granting temporary relief from disclosures and evictions from residences. It directs law enforcement to cease enforcement of any order that would displace people from their homes.

AL.com had reported that some Alabama counties were carrying out eviction orders during the pandemic. U.S. Sen. Doug Jones cited the report in his call for the state to put a hold on evictions.

The governor had previously resisted calls for a statewide shelter-in-place order that most states have imposed, including the states that border Alabama. The governor had drawn harsh criticism for her position.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is leading the federal government response to the pandemic, has said all states should have shelter-in-place orders.

The mayor in Montgomery tweeted today, saying that an order from the state for a shelter-in-place order is imminent. Also, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson early Friday afternoon signed a stay at home order with a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

State Health Officer Harris, Attorney General Steve Marshall, and Dexter Avenue Dexter Avenue Baptist Church’s Rev. Cromwell A. Handy joined the governor for this afternoon’s press conference.

Marshall said the statewide stay-at-home order carries the full weight of law with criminal enforcement sanctions available. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500.

Marshall said the extraordinary circumstances did not call for overly aggressive law enforcement but also called on citizens to do what’s being asked of them.

Alabama had previously been under statewide emergency health orders that closed public schools for the remainder of the school year, closed non-essential businesses and prohibited public gatherings of 10 or more.

The new order supersedes that. It says every person is ordered to stay at home except for “essential activities.” Those are listed under categories -- to obtain necessary supplies, to obtain or provide necessary services, to attend religious services, to take care of others, to work, to engage in outdoor activity, to seek shelter, to travel as required by law, and to see family members.

Those categories are further defined with specifics that narrow the exceptions to the stay at home order. For example, worship services must involve 10 or fewer people who maintain a six-foot distance or be “drive-in” services where participants stay in their vehicles.

The order defines “essential business and operations,” including “essential retailers.”

Supermarkets, convenience stores, pharmacies, liquor stores, warehouse clubs, office supply stores, hardware stores, gas stations, and home improvement stores are on a long list of retail businesses considered essential. (See the full list in the order, attached to the end of this article).

Effective Saturday at 5 p.m., the essential retailers will be subject to emergency maximum occupancy limits of no more than 50 percent of the normal occupancy allowed by the fire marshal.

Harris said the list of essential retailers is not intended to give people loopholes to avoid staying at home.

“We really need the people of Alabama to pay attention,” Harris said. “We really need them to understand this is important and can save a life. It may save your own life, or certainly the life of someone that you love and care about or someone in your community.”

“Things will look a lot different in our state in the next two or three weeks if we can just get people to see that.”

Ivey talked about why she decided to take the additional step that some officials had encouraged her to do previously. She said she had tried to let science and facts drive the decisions while keeping all options on the table.

“I’ve also tried to find the right balance, something that was measured, while not overreacting, that would look out for people’s health while keeping government from choking the life out of business and commerce,” Ivey said.

But the governor said the most recent statistics about the outbreak demanded tighter restrictions.

“Alabama is seeing an increasing number of positives, positive tests, every day,” Ivey said. "Over 160 new positives yesterday, and likely a greater number today. At least 34 people have died, including some as young as 33 years of age.

“Our expected surge in hospitalization will occur in about two or three weeks. And those patients are the ones who will become infected in the next few days. So folks we need to extend our health orders now.”

Ivey said more than 200 health care workers in the state are already infected and will be sidelined from the effort to fight the outbreak.

Jones was among the officials who had previously urged the governor to issue a stay-at-home order. Jones said he was relieved by the announcement.

“We can now turn our collective focus to ensuring we have the resources to test those who fear they have been infected, care for those who are sick, and protect health care and other essential workers who are on the front lines of this crisis,” Jones said in a press release.

Evictions Protection Order by KentFaulk on Scribd

Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth issued a statement asking Alabama residents to heed the shelter in place order. Last week he wrote a biting open letter to Gov. Kay Ivey’s COVID-19 task force, arguing they were not taking a “realistic approach” about the looming “tsunami of hospital patients.”

I fully support Governor Ivey's decision to issue a statewide shelter in place order.



Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/3yUgGk35FT — Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) April 3, 2020

This story was updated at 10:43 a.m. on April 4 to add quotes from Dr. Scott Harris. Updated at 10:54 p.m. to add that order requires people who test positive for COVID-19 to quarantine at home for 14 days.