Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed has enacted an indefinite, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew starting Friday night in an attempt to contain the coronavirus.

The order does not impact essential businesses.

“It’s important for us to understand that we are in an unprecedented situation," the mayor told reporters. “While this situation was not reached without much deliberation, it is one that I believe is needed at this time and is one that I believe will stop the spread of the coronavirus.”

Reed said the curfew will make it easier for first responders and healthcare workers to continue to do their jobs and prevent overloading the city’s healthcare system. He said the curfew will be in effect “indefinitely."

The Montgomery mayor’s action comes a day after Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox signed an executive order establishing a 24-hour curfew in the city starting midnight Sunday until April 11, when it will be reevaluated. Tuscaloosa will be under a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew on Friday and Saturday.

The Birmingham City Council approved a shelter-in-place order for residents on Tuesday at the urging of Mayor Randall Woodfin.