While neighboring Southern states have announced plans to lift economic restrictions in their states, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday that the existing stay-at-home order for Alabama will stay in effect through April 30 as previously planned.

"No one wants to open up businesses more than I do," she said. "We had a 2.7% percent unemployment rate in February, and I’m eager to get back to that."

The governor said an executive committee is working "to put the pieces together" to safely resume economic activity.

Stay-at-home order:Gov. Kay Ivey sticks with stay-at-home orders for now, no call for reopening businesses

Why did Gov. Kay Ivey opt to keep the stay-at-home order in place?

Ivey indicated she wanted the state's testing capacity to improve before lifting the order, as well as input on where the outbreak stands.

Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) data through Tuesday morning suggested the state had done 959 tests per 100,000 people, or fewer than 1% of the population. But those numbers vary by county and region. The state's 12 counties with populations of 100,000 or greater had testing rates of 983 per 100,000.

The governor said on Friday that she wanted to see a steady decline in infections and improved testing. Ivey said on Tuesday that the state's testing had to be "more than less of 1% of the population."

When will Alabama reopen?

The Small Business Emergency Task Force recommended the reopening of retail stores that follow social distancing and sanitary guidelines, as well as restaurants and close contact businesses like hair and nail salons.

All businesses under the recommendation would have to monitor the health of employees; restrict the number of customers in a store at any time and increase cleaning measures. Hair and nail salon employees would have to wear masks and gloves.

Coronavirus:Alabama committee recommends some business reopenings

Business impacts:Uncertainty around coronavirus outbreak complicates Alabama economy reopening

What happens next?

Unless Ivey changes course, the stay-at-home order will remain in effect through April 30, at which time we may see some businesses reopening.

"We can do this, and we will do this," Ivey said. "And I'm as as eager as anyone to get our economy open and spinning on all cylinders again. But again, we have to be careful and cautious in what we are doing, and doing it in a smart, productive way."

The push to reopen Alabama:Car rally to reopen Alabama economy at 1 p.m. in downtown Montgomery

Shortly after Ivey’s Tuesday press conference, protesters gathered around the Alabama Capitol for a car rally in support of re-opening Alabama’s economy following the Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force’s report Friday.

Brian Lyman and Sara MacNeil contributed to this report