By Joshua Huff, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — The Birmingham City Council voted to end the city’s shelter-in-place order and to extend the current face covering ordinance until May 22, 2020.
The city council, which convened on Tuesday morning, voted to end the city’s 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew included in the shelter-in-place order and extended the existing face covering order that prohibits the majority of people from traveling throughout the city without a face mask.
Birmingham had voted on May 5, 2020, to amend the face covering ordinance to provide further clarification.
The ordinance states that the masks must always be worn when interacting with people outside of their homes. The Birmingham City Council defined a face covering as, “a device to cover the nose and mouth of a person to impede the spread of saliva or other fluids during speaking, coughing, sneezing or other intentional or involuntary action. Medical grade masks are not required; coverings may be fashioned from scarves, bandanas or other suitable fabrics. The mask must cover the mouth and nose of the wearer.”
The amended ordinance clarifies those exemptions to the order and adds new language for offices, worksites and children. Previously, the wording called for exemptions for children under the age of 2, for exercising and if wearing a mask poses a mental health or physical health safety risk to the wearer (trouble breathing, incapacitated, among others).
Now, parents of children ages 8 or younger shall exercise judgement regarding the ability of their children to consistently wear a face mask. In addition, daycare centers must provide parents with information pertaining to the use of face coverings. The daycare center must adhere to sanitary, hygienic and face covering practices to the best of their ability.
Business owners, supervisors and those other leadership roles must ensure that employees and customers wear face coverings while at a place of business. Though, employees working alone in separate office spaces or non-public workplaces can take off their face coverings as long as proper social distancing is maintained.
People exercising outdoors, walking or jogging, are not required to wear a face mask, but it must be put on when encountering groups of people at the park or in other public spaces.
A mask also does not have to be worn if it poses a mental or medical risk for the user. This entails anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cover without assistance. Further, a mask does not have to be worn if it poses a safety risk while at work. That means working a job that requires heavy physical resistance, working at height or if the mask hinders communication, among others.