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Mobile, AL (WALA) — Governor Kay Ivey’s amended “Safer at Home” order announced Thursday will keep masks mandatory in Alabama, but there will also be some changes.
The order removes the 50% capacity caps for retailers, gyms and entertainment venues.
Barber shops, hair salons, restaurants and other businesses will be able to increase the number of people inside their businesses as long as people are wearing masks and separated by “impermeable” barriers.
Some restaurants in Downtown Mobile do not believe it will help them.
“We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing just following the guidance as its been,” said Frankie Little, Owner of Roosters.
At Roosters in Downtown Mobile, they are serving up hot food to hungry customers.
For restaurant owners like Little, Governor Ivey’s new safer at home order that would allow increased capacity if they put up partitions is not all that helpful because of the cost.
“It might add a couple tables for us, but it’s not going to add that much and what if we spend that all that time and money just for the ordinance to be changed again on December 11th,” he said.
Restaurants have been hit extremely hard during the pandemic, but business is bouncing back. Little said sales were better in October then during the same period in 2019.
“Our business has become more steady rather than lots of ups and downs,” he said. “If there was a convention or concert or something we might be really busy and then times where it dipped and it was slower.”
While restaurants will need to decide whether they want to make the change, some customers are not so sure about it.
“We don’t mind eating outside or ordering in, but I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable going into that environment with my family,” said Harry Roddy.
Back at Roosters, they continue to serve up food safely as they wait out this pandemic.
“I have high expectations that things are going to continue to get better and better and better and we will kind of drift into 2021 and hopefully things are going to be great,” Little said.
Masks will continue to be mandatory.
This latest safer at home order expires on December 11th at 5pm.
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