Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday issued her twenty-sixth supplemental emergency proclamation transitioning the state from an amended Safer at Home Order to a new Safer Apart Order, the third phase of COVID-19 pandemic health orders. Masks will no longer be mandated statewide, but individuals are strongly encouraged to wear a mask or other facial covering when in public and in close contact with other people. This order goes into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 2021 and extends until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.

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Q: What should healthcare workers be wearing to be protected when dealing with patients?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) [recommends](https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/novel_coronavirus/) that healthcare workers use a combination of standard [procedures](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/index.html) to protect themselves, including wearing gowns, gloves, eye/face protection, and respirators that provide protection against breathing in contaminated air. However, this respirator mask is not suitable for children, people with facial hair, and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. See the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's [guidelines](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html) for the types of respirators that should be used. Drafted: 10 March 2020

What should healthcare workers be wearing to be protected when dealing with patients?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends that healthcare workers use a combination of standard procedures to protect themselves, including wearing gowns, gloves, eye/face protection, and respirators that provide protection against breathing in contaminated air. However, this respirator mask is not suitable for children, people with facial hair, and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. See the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's guidelines for the types of respirators that should be used.

Drafted: 10 March 2020