Glenn Stephens

Alabama’s COVID Death Toll Still Rising, but New Case Counts and Hospitalizations Trend Down

Though more people are dying in Alabama because of the COVID-19 virus, and particularly its delta variant, there may be signs of hope that the latest surge may be turning for the better. In the periodic BirminghamWatch analysis of the state’s pandemic data, the death toll is increasing at the highest rate seen so far in the summer surge, with the 7-day moving average heading past peaks reached two weeks earlier. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Wednesday on its online dashboard that 66 people died because of the COVID virus in the past day, matching a daily high set on Aug. 28. The 7-day average is now at 42.29 deaths per day, moving past a peak set on Sept. 1 but more than double the 19.57 eight days ago. The fatality reports have seen large swings due in part to the Labor Day holiday period, during which many reporting agencies were closed or operating with skeleton staffs. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Daily Average of COVID Deaths in Alabama Has Doubled Since the End of August

The seven-day average number of deaths from COVID has more than doubled in Alabama so far this month. The State Department of Public Health reported 40 new deaths in Tuesday’s daily update, bringing the state’s total 12,718 over the course of the pandemic. There was an average of 43 deaths a day over the past week, more than twice the daily average of 20 for the last week of August.  While the number of deaths has risen dramatically in September, the number of cases has shown a significant decline. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Two Construction Companies in Position to Build Alabama Prisons

Two Alabama construction companies could be in the best position to get state contracts to build two men’s prisons under a proposal lawmakers are now weighing. Montgomery-based Caddell and Birmingham-based BL Harbert were both part of teams expected to build prisons under Gov. Kay Ivey’s earlier plan to lease from private developers three new facilities. That plan fell apart in the spring, but some legislative leaders say Caddell and Harbert have been vetted and put in the groundwork to quickly move on construction, if the Legislature can pass a bill that includes borrowing as much as $785 million. “It would be problematic if we tried to move out and get somebody else,” Sen. Greg Albritton, who has helped lead discussions on new prisons over the summer, said. “(These companies) are in the best position to do this work.” Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Alabama Closing in on 750,000 Cases of COVID-19

Alabama is getting close to having three-quarters of a million Covid cases. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported Friday a total of 741,318 cases, including 4,800 new cases. The state averaged 3,780 new cases a day over the past week, which is the lowest average since the Aug. 20 figure of 3,662. There were 53 new deaths reported Friday, bringing the statewide total for the pandemic to 12,605. The seven-day average stood at 30 deaths a day, double the average of 15 posted on Aug. 10. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Alabama’s COVID-19 Average Continues Decline

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 4,367 new cases of COVID-19 in its daily update Thursday, reflecting a continued drop in the weekly average. The report brought the number of cases for the pandemic to 736,518. The state has averaged 3,827 new cases a day over the past week -- down by 878 cases daily from Thursday of last week. ADPH reported 64 new deaths from COVID-19, raising the state’s total for  the pandemic to 12,552. Alabama has averaged 32 deaths a day over the past week, unchanged from a week ago. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Sen. Orr: It’s Time to Talk About Tax Cuts for Retirees, Low-Income Families

For the first time in 15 years, tax receipts in the state’s Education Trust Fund are hitting double-digit growth, prompting the Senate’s budget chairman to say it’s time the Legislature considers some possible tax cuts. While there are still several factors that could influence revenues in fiscal 2022 and 2023 and some growing expenses, Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, told Alabama Daily News the Legislature should consider reducing the income tax burden on some fixed-income seniors and families making around $50,000 a year or less.   “If the stars align correctly, and that’s a mighty big if, I think it’s time to have that discussion about tax cuts and sending money back home, back to the people,” Orr said this week.  Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Hitting a Peak or Holiday Anomaly? Alabama’s COVID New-Case Averages Going in Different Directions

It’s a bit hard to tell which direction the COVID numbers in Alabama are taking right now, and the Labor Day weekend may be the primary reason — or not. In BirminghamWatch’s periodic analysis of the state’s COVID data, the number of new cases took a significant dip over the holiday period. But the two main moving averages are at cross currents as far as indicating a trend, and the first day of reporting after the holidays has showed numbers jumping up to higher levels once again. The 7-day moving average of new daily cases fell to 3,961.57 as of Wednesday, showing the effect of three straight daily reports of below 3,000 cases. The short-term average dropped by 28.5% over seven days before, when a record of 5,538.14 was reached. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Counties Ask for $10M Reimbursement From State for County Jail Strains

The Association of County Commissions of Alabama is asking for a $10 million reimbursement from the state for the increased strain on county jails taking care of state inmates. The association approved a resolution last week requesting Gov. Kay Ivey and the state Legislature to “retroactively reimburse county governments for their extended care of an increased number of State-responsible inmates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a consequence of the Alabama Department of Corrections’ decision to drastically reduce its intake activities in 2020 and 2021.” The reimbursement amount is for the time from Jan. 1, 2021, to July 31, 2021, and accounts for all counties, Abby Fitzpatrick, director of communication and engagement for the association, told Alabama Daily News. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Congressional Committee Questions Alabama’s ‘Slow’ Distribution of Rental Assistance

MONTGOMERY --  About $15.5 million in pandemic Emergency Rental Assistance had gotten to 2,308 Alabamians as of last week, according to the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, the entity charged with distributing up to $263 million in federal funding. Through Sept. 1, 35,664 applications had been withdrawn because the applicants started but failed to complete the application process, the authority said. Meanwhile: 950 applications have been denied; 5,389 applications have been deemed viable for final review; 7,468: applications are in various stages of follow up with applicants for missing or incomplete information; 12,135: applications remain started by applicants but have yet to be fully submitted. The authority provided Alabama Daily News with this data in response to questions about a letter it and Gov. Kay Ivey received last week from U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chair of the House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. He wants to know why Alabama hasn’t been quicker in distributing the millions of dollars in rental assistance to those who need it. Read more.

by Mary Sell and Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

COVID-19 Count in Alabama Shows Decline Since Last Week

The number of new Covid cases in Alabama has dropped steadily since last week, and the seven-day average of new cases has fallen by 758 a day over the same timeframe, according to the state Department of Public Health. Last Thursday, the seven-day average of new cases per day was 4,705. By Tuesday, the average had dropped to 3,947, ADPH reported 5,312 new cases on Thursday, and the daily figure had dropped to 2,672 by Tuesday. There have been 727,360 cases of the coronairus reported in Alabama since the pandemic began in March 2020. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald