Birmingham City Council amends COVID-19 face covering law
The Birmingham City Council — at its regular meeting for Tuesday, May 5 — voted to approve some changes in the ordinance they passed last week requiring that people wear some sort of face mask or covering in public in the city to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin recommended the changes, which focus on requirements for offices, job sites, children and daycare facilities, according to a city news release.
The ordinance will be in effect through May 15 unless the state of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates an extension.
While the ordinance provides an exemption for children under the age of two, it also clarifies requirements for children 8 years old and younger.
Parents, guardians and caregivers of children 8 years old or younger should exercise judgment regarding the ability of those children to consistently wear a face covering or mask, the news release states.
Daycares and other childcare establishments must provide parents with information on the facility’s procedures for use of face coverings or masks. Where the consistent use of face coverings or masks is not possible due to the supervision of multiple children, the facility should adhere to sanitary, hygienic and face-covering practices to the maximum extent possible.
Additional changes include exemptions due to situations at work sites where wearing a face covering may pose a risk:
- Working on ladders or at height;
- Wearing other respiratory protection;
- Heavy physical exertion;
- Operating heavy equipment;
- Working in an environment where a face covering or mask hinders communications.
In such cases, employers at work sites are encouraged to structure work to promote social distancing and limit close contact as much as possible.
The ordinance also specifies people do not need to wear a face covering while working alone in separate office spaces or in non-public workplaces where there is more than adequate social distancing, based on the size of the space and number of people in the space.
People should be prepared to put on a face covering when interacting with others, particularly in groups of 10 or more people or where social distancing cannot be maintained.
Exemptions already included in the original ordinance remain in place, including the following:
- Exercise;
- People receiving medical or dental examinations;
- Physical and mental health and safety reasons;
To read the amended ordinance, click here.
For more information about the COVID-19 pandemic and the city’s response, go to birminghamal.gov/coronavirus.