Alabama added an average of 4,124 new cases of COVID-19 a day over the past week, the state Department of Public Health reported Monday.

The agency’s daily Covid update listed 3,072 new cases, bringing the state’s total for the pandemic to 694,523. There have been 12,222 deaths from the coronavirus in Alabama; no deaths were reported on Monday.

Nationally, a University of Texas model of Covid deaths predicted that 100,000 more people will die between now and Dec. 1. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 636,015 people have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The Texas model said the number of deaths could be cut in half if Americans wore masks and altered their behavior in other ways.

“Behavior is going to determine if, when and how sustainably the current wave subsides,” said Lauren Ancel Meyers, director of the University of Texas Covid-19 Modeling Consortium.
“That means doubling down again on masks, limiting social gatherings, stay home when sick and getting vaccinated,” Meyers said.

The Alabama Hospital Association reported Monday that 2,804 adults were being treated as inpatients across the state for Covid, along with 49 children. It said there were 1,537 intensive care patients in hospitals around the state.

At Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, 20 patients were being treated, with fewer than five on ventilators, said the hospital’s Adam Kelley. Children’s routinely treats patients from birth through 18 years.

UAB Hospital reported that it is treating 209 Covid patients.