City of Birmingham shortens its COVID-19 curfew
The Birmingham City Council held a special called meeting on Thursday, April 30, and voted to amend the curfew that is part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The curfew will now begin each night at 10 p.m. and be lifted at 5 a.m.
The curfew — part of a shelter-in-place ordinance passed March 24 and still in effect — was previously in effect 24 hours a day.
The Council also included a clause that prohibits law enforcement from using the order as probable cause to stop and search motorists.
“Everything we’ve done has been about flattening the curve. I am asking that we keep in mind that this is a very serious issue,” Council President Pro Tem Wardine Alexander said in a news release. “We are not implementing these measures to be restrictive or to infringe on people’s daily lives. This is about public safety and making tough decisions that we believe will save lives.”
During the meeting, the Council passed a resolution requesting that the Jefferson County Department of Health provide members with data about the COVID-19 cases in Birmingham.
Members are requesting data that describes the age, sex, race and underlying conditions of patients who have been treated for the virus and live in the city limits, without violating federal regulations regarding patient privacy. The resolution also requested regular briefings on COVID-19 from health officials.
“I appreciate the tireless work being done by our county health officials,” Parker said in the Council news release. “As the legislative body for Birmingham, we need to have a very clear picture of what we are up against. We know this virus is disproportionately impacting African American communities across the country. This information is crucial in our efforts to not only make data-driven decisions, but it will also allow us to apply for federal funding to combat these racial disparities as it relates to COVID-19.”