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As of this writing, 5:35 p.m. Friday, April 3, Chambers County has the same amount of reported deaths (5) as Jefferson County and only 78 positive cases. These numbers will change by the time you read this, however, the point remains the same. Six percent of the current positive cases have died, a number well above the national average and slightly higher the current worldwide average.

Most local municipalities have issued some sort of shelter in place order for their communities, and surrounding states have signed similar executive orders. For our Troup County readers, Georgia’s went into effect Friday.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced late Friday that she was signing a similar stay at home order that will go into effect at 5 p.m. Saturday, April 4 and will expire at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 30.

People around the state are dying, and while a shelter in place isn’t a magic fix to rid our state of the virus, it should slow its progression.

And before you ask, no a shelter in place won’t change much in Chambers County, unless the governor words it very differently from other states.

Our community has already closed some businesses and has taken steps to keep people inside.

However, the order makes those same declarations statewide, ending situations where one city or county is doing one thing and a neighbor next door is doing something else.

With a population of just over 33,000, Chambers County cannot and should not be leading the pack in per capita deaths due to COVID-19, but we are.

The shelter in place isn’t a fix-all.

The citizens of Alabama also have to do better.

We are all adults, and we have to take responsibility for our actions.

Since this crisis grabbed hold of our country, we had an opportunity to be proactive, but many of us were not.

Many sat around and either blamed the media for over-hyping the virus or thought they were somehow immune to it.

Even today, Chambers County has not fully embraced staying at home, prompting messages from the sheriff’s department and the Chambers County Emergency Management Agency for people to follow the highly publicized recommendations of limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people, maintaining proper hygiene and staying home save for making essential trips for medical treatment or food.

Regardless if you think the order is late or not, it is here and the entire community should take it seriously.

Do not let the order’s length of time deter you, stay vigilant.

It will be a new way of life to get used, sure, but one that will help keep you and your family safe.

Take this moment to spend quality time with your family and understand, we are truly all in this together  and we will get through this together.