Glenn Stephens

Alabama’s COVID Case Counts and Hospitalizations Return to January Levels; Death Toll Also Climbs

It’s official now. The number of daily new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama is back into the same range as it was in January, which was the height of the pandemic thus far. In the Birmingham Watch periodic analysis of COVID data from the Alabama Department of Public Health, the total number of cases from the beginning of the outbreak last year stood at 619,752 through Wednesday. That’s an increase of 3,851 from Tuesday, and 23,936 new infections over the past seven days. The 7-day moving average reached 3,419.43, the highest level since Jan. 15. It has climbed from a low of 121.0 five weeks ago, a 28-fold jump in that timeframe. The longer-term 14-day average crossed the 3,000-case threshold to stand at 3,020.64, which is 18½ times the lowest level from July. The number of hospitalized COVID patients is also rising to alarming levels, resulting in a shortage of beds available for more routine procedures. Wednesday’s ADPH report showed 2,371 hospital beds across the state were occupied by COVID inpatients. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Trussville’s Danny Garrett to Head House Budget Committee

Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, is the new Alabama House education budget committee chairman. Garrett replaces former Rep. Bill Poole, who this month became the state’s finance director. Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, made the announcement Tuesday. Garrett was first elected to the House in 2014. This term he’s been vice-chairman of the budget committee under Poole. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Jeffco Commissioner Cautions About Travel Expenses

Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons urged county employees and department heads Tuesday to be careful of excessive spending when traveling on behalf of the county. “I was just making sure that employees understand that we're still keeping an eye on travel,” Ammons said following the commission's committee meeting. “It's not a vacation.” Ammons’ eye was drawn to a trip someone from the county compliance office will take Sept. 18-22 to the Compliance & Ethics Institute Conference in Las Vegas. That trip will cost $3,354.55. He said some trips are to places that are expensive, but supervisors should be keeping an eye on expenses. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Vaccination Rates Are Ticking Up. Here’s Why Birmingham Residents Are Rolling Up Their Sleeves

The delta variant and rising hospitalizations are among the reasons vaccine recipients cite. Read more.

by Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

Alabama Manufacturers’ Investments in EV

Alabama automakers and parts suppliers began investments in electric vehicles several years ago, and the list continues to grow. Among the companies that have announced plans for new or expanded operations involving electric vehicles are New Flyer in Anniston, DURA Automotive Systems in Muscle Shoals, Hyundai in Montgomery and Honda in Lincoln. Alabama Graphite Products plans a first-of-its-kind advanced graphite processing plant in Coosa County to help with the production of an essential material in batteries that power electric vehicles, electronics and other green energy products. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Growing Demand, Industry Support Lead to State Investment in Electric Vehicle Chargers

Earlier this summer, the State of Alabama awarded 18 grants worth more than $4 million to help private entities add electric vehicle charging stations for public use. However, during the process, the state received 76 applications requesting more than $18 million. “Eighteen million dollars in requests does show the demand for these charging stations,” Kenneth Boswell, director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, told Alabama Daily News. Those grants, mostly funded through a Volkswagen settlement over the automaker's violation of the federal Clean Air Act, focused on the I-20, I-59 corridor. “It captured a small portion of the state,” Boswell said about the grants. Now, ADECA is working on a statewide EV charging plan that will show where stations are needed, including along evacuation routes. “It will cover all aspects of where charging stations need to be to cut down on fuel anxiety issues that an electric car owner would have,” Boswell said. Read more. Alabama Manufacturers’ Investments in EV

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Alabama’s Total COVID Infections Surpass 600,000, as Case Counts Continue Rapid  Climb

It’s been almost a year and a half since the COVID-19 began in the United States, and over that time Alabama has seen its ups and downs in the rate of infections. Now, with the latest surge propelled by the onset of the powerful Delta variant of the virus, the state has passed a milestone that no one wanted to see. On Friday, the Alabama Department of Public Health announced on its online dashboard that the number of cumulative cases of COVID-19 has passed 600,000, roughly equal to 12% of the state’s population. That’s an increase of 3,685 new cases for the day, the fourth in a row with more than 3,000 new infections tallied. The 7-day moving average of daily new cases rose by more than 500 on Friday alone, blowing past the 3,000 level for the first time since Jan. 16, which was near the peak of the pandemic’s winter surge. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Alabama Health Officials Say COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for Pregnant Women

Among the various reasons for vaccine hesitancy, one of the most prominent and personal is a concern about the COVID-19 vaccine’s potential effect on pregnant women or those who might soon want to become pregnant. Alabama doctors and health officials took those concerns head-on Thursday, seeking to reassure women that the vaccines are safe and effective. During the Medical Association of the State of Alabama’s weekly live Facebook event, state health leaders said all of the latest medical data and research shows the COVID-19 vaccine does not have any adverse effects on maternal health or fertility in women. Dr. Mimi Munn, a maternal-fetal physician professor and chair of the obstetrics and gynecology at the University of South Alabama, said the nation’s top OBGYN doctors and associations recommend pregnant women get vaccinated. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

Lawmaker Proposes Legislation to Bar Schools from Requiring Masks

MONTGOMERY -- While most health officials are advocating for more mask wearing amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19 delta variant, one north Alabama lawmaker said he is drafting a bill that would prohibit any public K-12 school in Alabama from requiring masks. Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, told Alabama Daily News on Thursday that his bill is not pro- or anti-mask but about giving more freedom to parents. “This bill says that parents should have the right to choose whether or not their child wears a mask in a public school, and I believe the parents are more qualified to make that decision than the government,” said Sorrell, who is running for state auditor in 2022. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Number of New COVID Cases in Alabama Rapidly Approaching Levels Last Seen in January

The surge in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues across Alabama, as the spread of the stronger Delta variant has pushed those numbers to levels close to those seen during the worst part of the pandemic early this year. In the Birmingham Watch periodic analysis of data reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the total number of cases since the outbreak began in March 2020 reached 595,816 on Wednesday. The 7-day moving average of new cases now stands at 2,621.86 per day, an increase of 18,353 cases for the week. That’s 35.7% higher than the average of 1,931.43 a week prior, and it’s the highest 7-day average recorded since Jan. 31. ADPH reported more than 3,000 new cases each day on Tuesday and Wednesday, the first time numbers have reached those heights since Jan. 26. Read more.

by Robert Carter