A new semester begins this week at the University of Alabama, and the addition of 30,000 students to the Tuscaloosa population could increase the community's risk of contracting the novel Coronavirus.

The State of Alabama is still under Governor Kay Ivey's "Safer at Home" order which mandates face masks and encourages all Alabamians to practice social distancing; however, viewing the hordes of students attending popular bars on Tuscaloosa's storied Strip would lead one to believe no such order exists.


Byrne's tweet is a stark reminder that many in the community continue to be careless in their approach to the COVID-19 pandemic and that blithe oversight could result in the loss of college football this year should case counts climb.

Even Kristin Saban Setas, daughter of Alabama Football Head Coach Nick Saban, expressed her concern over the congregation of college students.

"Can we just... send them all.. home?" she asked.

Classes begin Wednesday at the University of Alabama, and University officials plan to distribute 60,000 face masks in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

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