Glenn Stephens

Another Jump in COVID-19 Cases Reported Saturday

Alabama reported its largest number of COVID-19 cases since last weekend Saturday, with three counties accounting for more than a third of the 1,786 new cases. The new 24-hour report by the Alabama Department of Public Health brought the number of cases of the coronavirus to 96,613, plus 3,560 others listed as probable COVID-19. The daily tally included 20 deaths, raising the total number for the state to 1,694, plus 61 shown as probable. Mobile County reported 271 cases, Jefferson County 226 and Clarke County 166. Clarke County is in southwest Alabama, just north of the Mobile area. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Number of COVID-19 Cases and Daily Average Drop in Friday Report

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,425 new cases of COVID-19 and 20 deaths from the disease in its daily report Friday. That brought the total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 94,827, with another 3,190 listed as probably from COVID-19 but still under study. The state's death toll stood at 1,674, plus 60 additional cases listed as probable. The case count was down from 1,626 on Thursday. The average number of new cases over the past seven days fell to 1,364 a day. That is the lowest daily average since a count of 1,351 on July 12.  Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Jeffco Commission Delays Decision on Rocky Ridge Development

A request to rezone parcels in the Rocky Ridge area for a 25-unit condominium and a 10-lot single-family residential subdivision was delayed Thursday for two weeks for the developer and residents to settle on a possible revision. The Jefferson County Commission met for 2½ hours, with two hours spent on the requested rezoning. Overton Investments LLC asked to rezone property at 2468 and 2466 Rocky Ridge Road. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

1,626 New Cases of COVID-19 Reported Thursday, Reversing Three-Day Decline

After three days of decline, the number of new cases of COVID-19 almost doubled Thursday, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health's daily report. There were 1,626 confirmed new cases and 15 deaths for the 24-hour period covered by the report. That was up from 886 new cases the previous day. The total number of cases of the disease in Alabama since the pandemic began in March reached 93,402, plus 1,654 deaths. Another 2,878 cases and 56 deaths are listed as probably associated with the coronavirus but still under study. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Case Count Falls for Third Consecutive Day

Alabama recorded 886 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, a decline for the third consecutive day and the lowest daily count in more than a month. The Alabama Department of Public Health also reported 28 deths in the state during the most recent 24-hour period. There have been 91,776 confirmed cases of the disease and 1,639 deaths attributed to it since the pandemic began in mid-March. In addition, 2,812 cases and 55 deaths are presumed to have been from the disease but are still under study. The daily total on Wednesday was the lowest since a count of 854 on June 30. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Daily COVID-19 Count Drops to Lowest Number Since Early July

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped Tuesday to its lowest level since July 7. There were 963 confirmed new cases of the disease in the daily report issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began in March to 90,890. The count had not been below 1,000 since the total of 888 in early July. The daily COVID Dashboard listed 31 deaths for the latest 24-hour period, pushing the statewide total to 1,611. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Count for Alabama Approaches 90,000 Mark

The Alabama Department of Public Health on Monday reported 1,116 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths from the disease. The latest 24-hour report showed a total of 89,927 people have tested positive from the disease and 1,580 have died in Alabama since the pandemic began in March. An additional 2,633 cases and 51 deaths are presumed to be from the disease but are still under investigation. Jefferson County led the state with 209 new cases, raising its total to 11,859. It was the only county that reported a triple-digit increase. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Surge in Mobile County Pushes Alabama’s Daily COVID-19 Count to 2,031 on Sunday

An explosion of cases in Mobile County pushed the number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama to 2,031 on Sunday, the state Department of Public Health reported. In its daily report, the agency listed 532 confirmed new cases in Mobile County, where the case count has steadily risen over the past three days. The county reported 196 new cases on Thursday, 205 on Friday and 382 on Saturday; it has a total of 8,998 cases since the pandemic began in mid-March. The coastal county has accounted for just over one-fourth of the cases in the state over the past two days. There have been 88,811 cases of COVID-19 in Alabama, according to the Health Department's Dashboard. Sunday's report showed 23 new deaths, including three in Mobile County, for a statewide total of 1,576 during the pandemic. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Case Count Drops for Second Consecutive Day

The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama dropped Saturday for the second consecutive day as the state reported 1,502 cases and 22 deaths. There were 1,923 cases reported on Thursday and 1,783 on Friday. The 24-hour report by the Alabama Department of Public Health brought the state's overall totals since the pandemic began in March to 86,780 confirmed cases and 1,553 deaths. The average number of cases per day stands at 1,495 for the past week, the first time it has been below 1,500 since July 13. The state is averaging 21 deaths a day over the last seven days. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Stretching ICU Capacity of Alabama Hospitals

With the number of people being hospitalized with COVID-19 steadily rising, only 12% of the intensive care beds in Alabama hospitals are available for patients sick with the coronavirus and other illnesses, the head of UAB’s Infectious Disease Division said Thursday. "At UAB we are seeing more sick people and seeing more people dying,” said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo. “Right now, our COVID-care units are at full capacity, but we can absorb more people, and we will. The next couple of weeks are critical because we have not yet seen a decline in the rate of new cases.” Alabama is averaging more than 1,500 new cases of COVID-19 daily, and the state’s positivity rate among those tested for the virus was 19.25% as of Wednesday. The World Health Organization states that positivity rates for COVID should remain at 5% or below for at least 14 days for the situation to be considered under control. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald