Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has issued updated guidelines that say restaurants in Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Blount, St. Clair and Shelby counties should close their dining rooms for one week.

The recommendation is an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The new official guidelines also apply to bars, breweries or any Category 3 foodservice establishment.

Restaurants can continue to offer take-out service and locations with a drive-thru can continue to serve customers through that window.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is asking all areas of the state to consider following those guidelines if possible.

However, the emphasis from officials, for now, is Jefferson County and the areas immediately surrounding it.

As of 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Alabama has 29 confirmed coronavirus cases, 17 of which have been diagnosed in Jefferson County.

“These measures taken by the Alabama Department of Public Health are out of an abundance of caution in order to contain the area where the most cases of the COVID-19 are present,” said Ivey in a statement.

“We need to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of Alabamians and stop the spread of Coronavirus. The measures that have been taken in Jefferson County are an important step. We are taking similar actions in the surrounding counties and encouraging all counties throughout the state to follow suit.” advised State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, who runs the Alabama Department of Public Health.

“I am encouraged to see so many of our citizens voluntarily self-regulate by practicing social-distancing – choosing to be safe rather than sorry is always the smart move. We should not take precautionary measures for granted, but I encourage everyone to remember the old adage ‘this too shall pass.’ Adhering to smart protocol and practicing a little patience will pull us through this,” concluded Ivey.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.