Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said the he will follow the order of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and leave a municipal stay-at-home order in place until at least April 30th as leaders statewide work to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

In a press release distributed Tuesday, a city spokesperson said the Maddox officially re-adopted a state stay-at-home order Friday and that it requires people to remain in their place of residence unless they are performing an essential activity.

On April 28th. Maddox will present a plan to safely re-open Tuscaloosa businesses deemed nonessential to the city council.

The news that many restaurants and retailers will remain shuttered for at least another week will disappoint many, but Maddox said the last thing Tuscaloosa can afford is to re-open its businesses too quickly and create another round of widespread infections.

“History has taught us that during pandemics, the second wave can be much more costly than the first," Maddox said. "Tuscaloosa is going to do everything in our power to prevent a deadly second wave in our community.”

Knowing his constituents well, Maddox compared the city's current situation to something almost universally relatable in the Druid City -- a football game.

“We’re somewhere around halftime in this fight against COVID-19," Maddox said. "Because of the sacrifices you’ve made, we’re winning. We took the early lead, and now we’re in a legitimate position for optimism. But being up at halftime doesn’t mean you win the game. What we do in the weeks ahead will determine the outcome in Tuscaloosa. We need to finish strong so that we can reclaim our lives safely.”

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