Glenn Stephens

Alabama’s COVID-19 New-Case Averages Climb to All-Time Highs Again

The upward march of COVID-19 totals for new cases and deaths continues in Alabama, which led Gov. Kay Ivey to order the mandatory use of face masks in most situations. In Birmingham Watch’s weekly analysis of data reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the 7-day moving average of new cases for the period ending July 15 jumped to 1,685.86 per day, an all-time high. And the longer-term 14-day moving average also stands at a record high of 1,413.07. The total number of people who have tested positive for the disease since the pandemic began in mid-March stands at 58,225, an increase of 11,801 cases from seven days prior. The new total is roughly double the number reported on June 20 and quadruple that of May 24, which means the total is doubling about every 25 days. At the current rate of increase, Alabama could reach 100,000 positive cases on or about Aug. 5. Read more.

Ivey Orders Use of Face Masks Statewide as COVID-19 Spikes in Alabama

Gov. Kay Ivey, expressing alarm over the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Alabama, issued a statewide mask order Wednesday, effective at 5 p.m. Thursday. Appearing at a news conference with state health officer Scott Harris, Ivey said masks will be required for all indoor spaces open to the public, on vehicles operated by transportation services and in outdoor spaces where 10 or more people are gathered. “Overnight last night we had 2,141 new cases,” she said. “That brings our total to 58,270 cases, and we’ve had 1,183 deaths.” Read more.

Alabama Records 40 Deaths from COVID-19, the State’s Highest Daily Count

Alabama recorded 40 deaths from COVID-19, the highest one-day increase since the pandemic began in March, according the state Department of Public Health's daily report Tuesday. Mobile County reported seven deaths from the disease, Jefferson County had four and Walker County listed three. The state's death toll reached 1,136, plus 28 that are listed as probably from COVID-19 but as yet unconfirmed. Twenty-two of the 67 counties reported deaths during the 24-hour period covered by the report. The report showed 1,673 new confirmed cases, raising the state's overall total to 56,441, plus 777 cases listed as probably from the disease. Read more.

Residents, Employees at Veterans Nursing Homes Test Positive for COVID-19

At the end of June, after completing a round of testing for the coronavirus at the state’s four veterans homes, the state Department of Veterans Affairs reported that all of the residents at the homes were “virus free.” That is no longer the case. The department reported Monday that after additional testing last week, nine residents and seven employees at the William F. Green State Veterans Home in Bay Minette tested positive for the coronavirus. So have seven employees at the Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City, three at the Floyd “Tut” Fann State Veterans Home in Huntsville and four at the Bill Nichols State Veterans Home in Alexander City. Read more.

Daily COVID-19 Case Count for Alabama Rises for Third Day in a Row

The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama grew for the third consecutive day Monday, with 1,860 confirmed cases to raise the state's overall total to 54,768. But the number of deaths reported on the Alabama Department of Public Health's COVID-19 Dashboard fell for the third day in a row. The department reported three deaths -- down from 35 deaths on July 10, nine on July 11 and seven on July 12.  Madison County, including Huntsville, had the highest number of new cases in Monday's report with 267 to push its overall total to 2,535. Jefferson County listed 266 cases, raising its total to 7,012, the most in Alabama. Read more.

Jefferson County Leads the Way as Alabama’s COVID-19 Rate Continues to Rise

Led by Jefferson County, the state posted 1,614 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, increasing the statewide growth rate for the third consecutive day. Alabama's four most populous counties again had the highest numbers of confirmed new cases as the total number since the pandemic began grew to 52,908, according to the state Department of Public Health's daily update. There were 653 cases shown as probably from the disease but still under study. There were seven deaths for the 24-hour period, including three in Chambers County, which has recorded 30 deaths from COVID-19 overall. Statewide, there have been 1,093 deaths, plus another 28 listed as probably from the illness but not confirmed. The state has averaged 1,351 new cases a day over the past week and 1,282 daily for the past 14 days. Read more.

Court Decisions Boost Hopes of Pipeline Opponents

An Alabama clean-water advocate has applauded a federal judge’s order to shut down, at least temporarily, a section of the Dakota oil pipeline in North Dakota. Opponents of the pipeline sought the order, issued on July 7, on grounds that it threatens the Standing Rock Sioux reservation’s drinking water and sacred grounds. That and other recent court decisions have boosted the hopes of environment, public health and clean-energy advocates who seek to reduce or end the nation’s use of fossil fuels to generate energy. Even oil and gas industries say the “increasing legal uncertainty” that overhangs energy and industrial infrastructure projects will challenge their ability to contribute to U.S. energy needs. Read more.

Alabama Tops 50,000 Mark in COVID-19 Cases

There were 1,402 new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama over the past 24 hours, according to the state Department of Public Health's daily report Saturday. That pushed the total number of cases to 51,294 since the pandemic began. It was the fourth consecutive day with counts above 1,100, including a record 2,164 on Thursday. Alabama is now averaging 1,276 cases a day over the past week and 1,192 for the past 14 days. The Health Department's COVID-19 dashboard listed nine new deaths on Saturday, raising the overall total to 1,086. Read more.

Alabama Records 35 COVID-19 Deaths, the Most in a Single Day

Alabama recorded 35 deaths from COVID-19, the most in one day since the pandemic began, in the state Department of Public Health's daily dashboard on Friday. The death toll was the highest for a single day since 26 people died of the disease on June 8. For July, an average of 13 people a day had died of the disease through Thursday. The number of confirmed cases of the disease grew by 1,304 for the 24-hour period to raise Alabama's overall total to 49,892. That was down significantly from the 2,164 reported Thursday. Another 586 cases and 26 deaths are listed as probably, but not yet confirmed, from COVID-19. Read more.

Sessions-Tuberville Showdown Tops Tuesday’s GOP Runoff

Jeff Sessions kicked off a weeklong tour of Alabama last week with a visit to a farmer’s market in Pike Road, a small town 14 miles outside Montgomery. The event marked the beginning of a final campaign push for Sessions, who is locked in a heated battle to regain the U.S. Senate seat he held from 1997 to 2017. The campaign has been an uphill battle for Sessions, to put it lightly. Polls have consistently shown him trailing his opponent, former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, by as many as 20 points. Now, with the July 14 Republican runoff election just days away, Sessions is making his closing argument: that his opponent is “weak.” Tuberville is touting his endorsement by President Donald Trump, saying he stands with the president to "drain the swamp" in Washington. Read more. Voter Guide BirminghamWatch has gathered information you’ll need before heading to the polls or filling out that absentee ballot. Inside you’ll find:

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