COVID-19 Policy
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has extended the mask ordinance for city facilities in his executive order until March 31, 2022. What this means is that all city employees and visitors to city facilities MUST wear a mask or face covering. Masks are not required for outdoor spaces.
Face coverings are required, no matter the COVID-19 vaccination status of the city employee or visitor. This is being done in an ongoing effort to fight the spread of COVID-19. Please remember that no more than 4 people should be on a city elevator. When in public, indoor city spaces, please continue to practice social distancing.
- An employee who thinks they have been exposed to COVID-19, should notify their supervisor. They should not report to work.
- If an employee has been around someone with COVID-19, they should notify Human Resources, even if it’s after hours or on the weekends. Call 205-254-6471 and send an email to covid19@birminghamal.gov.
Some area testing and/or vaccination sites:
Brownstone Healthcare & Aesthetics, 4643 Camp Coleman Road # 117 in Trussville on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Birmingham AIDS Outreach and AIDS Alabama are offering free rapid COVID testing
BAO (Parking lot across from main building)
Monday – Thursday
11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
205 – 32nd St. South in Birmingham
AIDS Alabama (El Centro/ The HUB Building)
Monday-Friday
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
3522 7th Ave. South in Birmingham
Visit the Jefferson County Health Department’s website here for more locations for COVID testing.
During the month of January 2022, FREE COVID vaccinations will be provided Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jefferson County Health Department, 1400 Sixth Ave. South.
Go here to learn more about the COVID booster shot
COVID Policy Reminder (Updated: July 30, 2021)
All City of Birmingham employees, no matter their COVID-19 vaccination, are required to wear face coverings while working in any city facility, worksite, office or vehicle. Plastic face shields may only be worn in conjunction with a face mask, unless a medical exception has been approved through Human Resources. This is being done in an ongoing effort to fight the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta Variant.
Visitors to all city facilities, such as City Hall, the Birmingham CrossPlex, Boutwell Auditorium, etc., must wear a face covering. Masks are not required for outside spaces. Please know that this is ONLY for city facilities. If a member of the public has a question on what is permissible for venues not connected to the City, they are encouraged to contact that non-City facility and inquire about their mask and/or COVID-19 policies.
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin remains in contact with medical and public health officials. All recommendations are based on what health officials are advising. Below are some additional reminders:
- If an employee needs a COVID-19 test, they should go here for a list of testing sites.
- If an employee is interested in a COVID-19 vaccination, there are a few ways to locate a site. They can visit www.vaccines.gov/search/ and type in their zip code. They may call 1-800-232-0237. Or they may text their zip code to 438829. Also, Legion Field will have a vaccination clinic on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Please remember that no more than 4 people should be on a City elevator. While in inside City of Birmingham-owned spaces or even outdoors, people should continue to practice social distancing.
- An employee who thinks they have been exposed to COVID-19, should notify their supervisor. They should not report to work.
- If an employee has been around someone with COVID-19, they should notify Human Resources, even if it’s after hours or on the weekends. Call 205-254-6471 and send an email to covid19@birminghamal.gov.
- Please continue to wash hands for at least 20 seconds. Also, continue to sanitize keyboards, phones, and often-used surfaces.
- Attached is a poster that contains COVID-19 tips on what to do when in a City of Birmingham breakroom.
- Mask posters are available in OPI, which is on the third floor of City Hall, for directors to post in City venues.
- Mayor Woodfin recently issued two Executive Orders that address the latest mask requirements for City facilities. Mayor Woodfin’s latest Executive Orders are attached. These orders may also be found at www.birminghamal.gov/covidpolicy .
- Please make sure this information is circulated within your departments and seen by employees who may not have access to City email.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Chills
- Muscle pain
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
If there are any questions about the City’s COVID-19 employee policies, employees may call Human Resources at 205-254-2819.
- Executive Order for Employees and Masks (Revised 9.29.21)
- Executive Order on Visitors Wearing Masks in City Buildings (Revised 9.27.21)
When attending a event, consider the following:
- Know your COVID-19 status before you go. Get a COVID-19 test. This is not a perfect way to prevent infection, but it will help when combined with other virus-fighting efforts.
- Prior to attending the event, all members should quarantine away from others for 14 days. This would include not attending any other gatherings outside of your home, severely limiting interactions with co-workers and limiting trips outside of the home to only what is absolutely necessary. This will decrease the chance of someone introducing the virus into a larger group gathering.
- Hold gatherings outdoors in the open air or open windows indoors to increase air circulation.
- Ensure that all attendees are wearing masks when not eating.
- When eating, make sure people can be spaced apart at least 6 feet while they remove their mask to eat.
- Instruct all attendees to stay home if they are sick or concerned they are becoming sick.
For more information, please review guidance from the CDC found here.
Risk of Spreading COVID-19 at Gatherings
Gatherings of multiple people outside of your immediate household continue to pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19 to a large number of people. Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have posted a calculator to determine the risk one person at the event can transmit COVID-19. This information can be found here.
Risk of having at least one person who can transmit COVID-19 at gatherings in Jefferson County:
10 people: 17% or about 1 out of 5
15 people: 24% or about 1 out of 4
25 people: 37% or about 2 out of 5
50 people: 61% or about 2 out of 3
Holiday Travel Tips from the Birmingham Airport Authority
The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is ready to welcome holiday travelers. Multiple layers of protection are in place so travelers can feel confident and safe when they fly BHM. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, BHM has deployed enhanced cleaning protocols and upgraded its disinfecting and cleaning solutions to instill confidence and offer peace of mind for travelers.
The airlines have also implemented several changes to its operations to ensure passenger safety. They clean all high-touch areas before every flight and require passengers and employees to wear face coverings. High-Efficiency Particle Filter (HEPA) filtration systems are also used on aircraft to clean the air of 99.9% of particles including bacteria and viruses, refreshing cabin air every few minutes.
In addition, TSA has implemented several changes to its security screening process at checkpoints nationwide to reduce the potential for cross-contamination in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
What Travelers Can Do to Travel Safely During the Thread of COVID-19:
- Wear a face covering.
- Use technology when possible to reduce touchpoints such as mobile-boarding and paying with your smart phone.
- Be familiar with your airline’s policies and TSA’s new procedures such as scanning your own boarding pass, placing food in a separate bin, and placing items from your pockets directly into your carry-on bag to reduce touchpoints.
- Don’t travel if you are sick.
What is the Incubation Time for COVID-19?
According to medical experts, COVID-19’S incubation time is 14 days with a median time of 4 to 5 days from exposure to the onset of symptoms. Nearly 97 percent of people with COVID-19 who develop symptoms, will do so within 11.5 days of infection. During the early incubation time, the person may not think they have COVID-19 because they may not have symptoms. As a result, they continue with their regular routine and meet with people. This is how experts say it can be easily spread.
To see what the CDC says about small gatherings at the holidays, go here.
NEW: Utility Bill or Rent Funding (Posted November 19, 2020)
For those who’ve experienced a hard time paying a utility bill or rent because of the pandemic, the JCCEO and the Birmingham Urban League have federal funding to help.
To be eligible for the program, people must be able to show they are:
- A Jefferson County resident
- Their housing and utility expenses happened between March 1 and Dec. 30, 2020
- They were financially negatively affected by COVID-19.
For applications, call the Birmingham Urban League at 205-326-0162 or the JCCEO at 205-327-7500.
Temporary Response to COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (Updated 9/28/2021)
City of Birmingham Telework Information (Posted May 20, 2020)
- Telework Pilot Policy
- Telework Agreement
- Telework Plan
- Telework Weekly Status Report
- Telework Training for Employees
- UPDATE: What City employees should do if they suspect they have COVID-19 (June 23, 2020)
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin’s Executive Orders and Policies
Face Coverings
- Face Covering FAQs (Effective May 1, 2020, Updated May 5, 2020)
- A partir 1 del Mayo, la Ciudad de Birmingham requerirá cubrimientos faciales 4.28.20
- Una Ordenanza Para Requerir El Uso De Masaras En Public0, En La Ciudad de Birmingham, Durante La Emergencia De Salud Publica Y Recuperación De COVID-19
- Birmingham Face Covering Ordinance (Explained with a graphic)
- Birmingham Face Covering Ordinance Signage for City Facilities
- How to Wear and Clean Your Face Covering
- Face Covering Examples
- How to Make a No-sew Mask
Testing Sites
Safer at Home & Helpful
- Safer at Home Order
- Jefferson County Safer at Home Order En Espanol (Posted May 27, 2020)
- Safer at Home Info Sheet 1
- Safer at Home Info Sheet 2
- Safer at Home Info Sheet 3
- What to do when shopping during COVID-19
- Alabama Safer-At-Home Order Signed (April 28, 2020)
- Alabama Health Order Info Sheet (April 28, 2020)
- Mayor Woodfin Amends the Shelter-in-Place Ordinance (April 3, 2020)
- Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Expanded FMLA Leave Policy (April 1, 2020)
Employee Resources for Policies and Protocols During COVID-19
- Face Covering Protocol (Updated 10.15.2020)
- City of Birmingham COVID-19 Leave Summary Chart (Revised 10.13.2020)
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act FAQs
- City travel ban for personal and business travel, canceled events and more (March 12, 2020)
- Protocol for identifying critical infrastructure & handling potential COVID-19 exposure to city employees (March 24, 2020)
- Email: Absences during a State of Emergency (March 19, 2020)
- Email: Details on Teleworking for City of Birmingham Employees (March 16, 2020)
City of Birmingham Virtual Town Hall Meetings
Virtual Town Hall Meeting 1: DPW
Virtual Town Hall Meeting 2: BPD & BFRS
COVID-19 Pay
- COVID-19 Pay: Qualified employee data by Employee ID number (April 27, 2020)
- Press Release: $500,000 in hazard pay approved for city employees, some DPW shift to four day weeks (April 7, 2020)
- Email: Employees notification of COVID-19 case (April 7, 2020)
- Release: Mayor Woodfin declares State of Emergency (March 16, 2020)
Free Training Opportunities for Employee Educational and Professional Development
- www.edx.org – Free online courses that range from professional development to fashion design.
- www.coursera.org – These courses are taught by instructors at top institutions like MIT and Harvard. Courses lean mostly technical, IT and engineering, but also offer management, public administration and professional development options.
- www.udemy.com – Online learning courses that run from basic ukulele instruction to advanced business analytics.
- www.skillshare.com – Thousands of courses focused mainly on the creative arts. Instruction covers production, design, writing, editing and storytelling. Classes are taught by industry insiders. It’s a mix of paid and free content. However, the free content offerings are numerous.
- www.sophia.org – Thirty free classes will be offered until July 31, 2020. These courses may be transferred for college credit: business, English and communication, humanities, math and science.
- www.linkedin.com/learning – Want to know more about LinkedIn? Check out this free, one-month trial. There are over 15,000 expert-led courses. Certificates upon course completion. Courses cover a full-range of business and technical topics.
Tele-Townhall Recordings:
- City Update Tele-Town Hall (Recorded April 29, 2020)
- Employee Tele-Town Hall (Recorded April 8, 2020)
- Department of Public Works Tele-Town Hall (Recorded March 26, 2020)
- Fire & Rescue Tele-Town Hall (Recorded March 25, 2020)
- Police Tele-Town Hall (Recorded March 25, 2020)
- Employee Tele-Town Hall (Recorded March 20, 2020)
Mental and Well Being Resource – Protecting your mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. (7)
City of Birmingham Maps