Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon made waves early Sunday with a report he was instructing his deputies not to enforce certain provisions of Gov. Kay Ivey’s so-called “Safer at Home” order that continued to restrict some businesses and church worship activities.

Moon’s announcement, first reported by the Cullman Daily News was greeted with accolades statewide, as the public is showing signs of souring on mandates imposed in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

During an interview with Birmingham’s ABC 33/40 that aired Sunday, Moon denied opposing Ivey or being in defiance. Instead, he said his department would not go to churches, nor would they stop people working to support their families.

#NEW Tonight you’ll hear from the Blount County Sheriff Mark Moon on what he is telling deputies to do about any churches and businesses violating Governor Ivey’s Safer-At-Home Order. Here’s an excerpt from our phone conversation. Hear more at 10 on @abc3340 @spann. pic.twitter.com/03vMAqrp7z

— Patrick Karl Thomas (@PatThomasNews) May 4, 2020

“Here’s what the order is, here’s what the order says you can do, but we are not coming to your churches and pulling you out of your places of worship and putting you in jail and writing a citation for being in your place of worship,” Moon said according to ABC 33/40.

“I am not opposing the Governor,” he said in the portion that aired on ABC 33/40. “I am not defiant of her order. It’s just we have people in our county that are hurting that need to get back to work and support their families. I can’t in my heart of hearts punish somebody for trying to do what’s best for themselves, their families and their congregations.”

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Huntsville’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.