7 Things: Ainsworth warns of next coronavirus mitigation steps, Alabama has its worst week since the pandemic started, questions remain for the school year and more …

7. Madison officers to be awarded but not right now

On Tuesday, officers with the Madison Police Department that were involved with responding to the Dana Fletcher call in the Planet Fitness parking lot in 2019 were going to be given a Medal of Honor at a private ceremony, but that has been changed because the timing was not “optimal.”
Madison Mayor Paul Finley had confirmed the ceremony for the officers who were reportedly being awarded for “bravery in relation to the events of October 27, 2019 in the parking lot of Planet Fitness” where Fletcher was armed with a handgun and acting aggressively before being shot by police.

6. Biden continues to lead

New polling data has been released by Fox News that shows former Vice President Joe Biden continues to lead against President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. According to the polling, if the election were held today, 49% of people would vote for Biden, while only 41% would vote for Trump.
While Biden continues to lead, this is a slight change compared to June polls that showed Biden leading 50-38, but among women voters, Biden leads by 19 points. Trump leads by five points among men, and even 7% of voters that approve of Trump’s job performance said they’d vote for Biden.

5. We are pretending Trump won’t accept defeat … again

During an interview with Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday,” President Donald Trump was asked about his potential defeat in November against former Vice President Joe Biden, and he said he’s “not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.”
Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign responded to the subject, saying, “The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.” The idea that Trump will refuse to leave the White House if he doesn’t win reelection in November is a narrative that has been pushed by the media since 2016, which is amusing since Hillary Clinton nor the media has accepted those results yet.

4. Rep. John Lewis has passed

U.S. Representative John Lewis (D-GA), who grew up in Pike County and was a strong civil rights leader, has passed after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. Governor Kay Ivey reacted to his passing by saying, “We’ll forever remember his heroism & his enduring legacy.”
U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) posted a picture of herself and Lewis at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, saying, “He forever changed Selma and this nation.” U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope) said that Lewis “became the conscience of America” before adding, “He was a good friend who never failed to inspire, and I miss him already.”

3. In-class schooling fight heats up with doctors on both sides

The debate over sending kids back to school continues to heat up as the school year gets closer with Northeast Alabama Pediatrics’ Dr. Matt Lovado saying, “Right now we need to not be doing things that increase group environments.”
But doctors continue to be divided over the threat to children and how they spread the disease, so that is leading to educators and their unions to call for the school year to start online while Children’s of Alabama’s Dr. David Kimberlin noted the “harms of educational lapses, of socialization opportunities lost, of nutritional opportunities (missed).”

2. Worst coronavirus week

America had its worst day for positive cases since the coronavirus pandemic began, and last week was the worst week for coronavirus cases and deaths in Alabama since the pandemic began. The new seven-day average for cases is at 1,745.6, and there were over 12,200 new cases within the week.
The seven-day average for coronavirus deaths also increased to 22, and the Alabama Department of Public Health reported 155 virus deaths within the week. During that time period, Madison County added about 1,200 cases, Jefferson County had about 1,900 cases and Mobile County added about 1,100 cases.

1. Mandatory masks are a slippery slope

Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth has been outspoken against the statewide mask requirement, and while speaking at the Madison County Men’s Republican Club meeting, he called the mandate a “slippery slope” to mandatory vaccines.
Ainsworth emphasized that he thinks decisions like this need to be left up to local governments, and also said that if there’s an attempt at another economic shutdown due to the coronavirus, he will “fight harder than I have ever fought if Dr. [Scott] Harris or the governor want to close down any businesses.”