The Manufacture Alabama staff has been working around the clock over the last 24 hours to assist in the clarification of yesterday's public health order. We want to thank Governor Ivey and her administration for making this more transparent. The Governor’s most recent statement is below.

As the COVID-19 situation develops, manufacturing leaders from across the state are being assembled and will be working closely with Governor Ivey’s administration to ensure that manufacturing continues to have the support it needs to maintain its operations and to drive Alabama’s economy forward. 

Finally, we have received many questions over the last few days about the ability of our members to apply for “essential business” status in the event non-essential business is shut down throughout our state. 

Manufacture Alabama has made the recommendation that all manufacturing to be considered essential business activity, however, we have included here the ability for your individual facility to complete a form requesting specific “essential business status” in line with the US Department of Homeland Security’s guidelines. We will report the form results directly to the Ivey Administration on regular intervals. 

Sincerely, 

George Clark
President
Manufacture Alabama
A Message from our Governor:
Governor Ivey Issues Statement on Updated Statewide Public Health Order
MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) on Friday issued an update to the statewide health order to aid in Alabama’s efforts to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  
 
Effective today, all non-work related gatherings of 25 persons or more, or non-work related gatherings of any size that cannot maintain a consistent six-foot distance between persons, are prohibited. Employers shall take all reasonable steps to meet these standards for employees and customers.
 
The updated order also expands the availability of child day care in the state as long as certain guidelines are followed, and includes clarifying language regarding senior citizen centers and schools.
 
Governor Kay Ivey: “As our state works in overdrive to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic, we are making decisions based on the best information we have in the moment. I have no doubt that as this situation rapidly unfolds, decisions will need to be evaluated and amended.
 
“Yesterday’s health order was issued to be as comprehensive as possible to combat the spread of the virus and to ensure the state was doing everything within its authority to protect the people of Alabama.
 
“In order to keep Alabama going, we must keep Alabama businesses going to the best of our abilities. I fully support the restrictions of social or recreational gatherings of 25 people or less and strongly encourage individuals to maintain a six-foot distance. However, this order was intended to apply to non-work-related gatherings. However, employers should take all necessary steps to meet these standards for employees and customers. 
 
“Let me be abundantly clear - I have no intention of slowing down our workforce through unnecessary, burdensome regulations. We will only be able to mitigate the risk of the virus through the efforts of our hardworking manufacturers that will produce life-sustaining supplies, our truckers who move these goods down the road, and our valued retailers that will make them available to our citizens."
 
“My administration has been given clear instructions to do everything possible to ensure the continuity of government while being flexible and responsible to the needs of our state. I ask for the support of my fellow Alabamians as we work through these challenging days together.”
 
State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris: "Alabamians must cooperate, understand their actions affect other people, and take seriously the need to protect health and safety, because COVID-19 is a deadly virus."
 
The updated order can be accessed here.
For more information, visit: http://governor.alabama.gov/
Guidelines for Essential Manufacturing facilities
As the Nation comes together to slow the spread of COVID-19, on March 16th, the President issued updated Coronavirus Guidance for America.

This guidance states that:

“If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcare services and pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”

The attached list identifies workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are essential to continued critical infrastructure viability, including staffing operations centers, maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, operating call centers, working construction, and performing management functions, among others. The industries they support represent, but are not necessarily limited to, medical and healthcare, telecommunications, information technology systems, defense, food and agriculture, transportation and logistics, energy, water and wastewater, law enforcement, and public works.
Manufacture Alabama | www.manufacturealabama.org
401 Adams Avenue, Suite 710 Montgomery, Alabama 36104