For the second consecutive day, Alabama recorded its biggest increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 859 new cases of the disease from 10 a.m. Thursday until 10 a.m. Friday, bringing the total number of cases confirmed in the state since the pandemic began to 23,333. There were 377 probable, but as yet unconfirmed, cases. The highest previous daily increase was 848 on Thursday. Read more.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alabama jumped by 848 Thursday to 22,474, the state Department of Public Health reported in its daily update. Besides the confirmed cases, the agency listed 371 probable cases of the disease, meaning those affected are believed by health officials to have the disease but confirmation is pending. The figures are for the period from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 10 a.m. Thursday. The case count was almost double the average increase of 439 a day for the seven-day period through Wednesday. Read more.
The homicide of George Floyd and the subsequent street protests have illuminated failings not only among law enforcement agencies but also among many mainstream news organizations. Along with other issues, the well-documented lack of racial diversity on newsroom staffs has shown itself in harmful and embarrassing ways. Perhaps a black journalist in The New York Times’ chain of editing, or simply a heightened awareness created by a more diverse department, would have anticipated the valid internal and external criticism that U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton’s published idea to send the military to “restore order” in American cities posed a safety threat to protesters and journalists, especially black ones. “This puts our Black staff members in danger,” the newsroom union wrote. Read more.
Alabama added 555 confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 14 deaths from the disease, for the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Wednesday, the state Department of Public Health reported. There have been 21,626 confirmed cases, plus 363 probable cases, since the coronavirus pandemic began, the department said it is daily update. There have been 739 deaths from COVID-19 in the state, plus five more deaths that possibly resulted from the disease. The Alabama Department of Public Health’s daily updated showed figures for COVID-19 cases from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday. Read more.
The statewide total of COVID-19 cases in Alabama grew by 481 today, and there were 11 new deaths from the disease. The Alabama Department of Public Health this morning released figures for COVID-19 cases from 10 a.m. Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday. The agency said there have been 21,071 confirmed cases of the disease and 725 deaths since the pandemic began. It listed another 351 probable cases of COVID-19. Read more.
The Jefferson County Department of Health order that banned the opening of entertainment venues is set to expire at midnight Saturday, June 6. The county will then fall under the statewide order issued on May 21 by the state health officer. That order includes rules for entertainment venues, including social distancing, limited occupancy rates, sanitation requirements and use of facial masks by employees. Though the order prohibiting operation of entertainment venues will expire Saturday night, unincorporated areas of Jefferson County will remain under a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily. Read more.
Responding to questions this morning on the NBC Today show, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said he received death threats in response to his order to take down a Confederate monument in the wake of destructive protests Sunday night. “Unfortunately, in the state of Alabama, there's a lot of people who like to participate in revisionist history,” Woodfin said, speaking with host Al Roker. “They believe it's American to support the Civil War as relates to these competitive monuments. They're mad because we took the statue down and, yes, there have been several threats. Read more.
Birmingham finished removing the base of the Confederate monument in Linn Park this morning after working for more than 24 hours to take down the structure that had become a lightning rod for racial protest in the city. Mayor Randall Woodfin agreed to remove the monument after a crowd of protestors were drawn to the park Sunday night to try to topple it. They covered it in graffiti and chipped out chunks of it, along with taking down another statue and defacing two more. As they left the park, they set small fires and smashed windows of some downtown businesses. In reaction, Birmingham and other cities on Tuesday declared and extended curfews aimed at shutting down such violent protests. Woodfin announced he was expanding the city’s curfew, covering the period of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., to include a 24-hour prohibition on “gatherings, parades, marches and demonstrations … on any public property or public street.” The Jefferson County Commission also issued a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. through June 9, affecting unincorporated areas of the county and any cities that want to apply it. Read more. More stories on the protests in Birmingham: Jefferson County Sets Curfew to Curb Violence Confederate Monument Taken Down in Linn Park Birmingham Mayor Sets out Curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Cleanup Begins After Looting Damages Downtown Birmingham Businesses Birmingham Protestors Vandalize Downtown Buildings, Try to Take Down Confederate Monument Protesters Gather in Birmingham to Honor George Floyd
State health officials reported 294 new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama on Monday, bringing the overall total to 18,246. The Alabama Department of Public Health also reported 14 deaths Monday and said 644 people have died of the disease since the coronavirus pandemic began. Mobile still leads the state in confirmed cases, reporting 2,271 cases and 118 deaths. Read more.
A controversial Confederate monument in downtown Birmingham's Linn Park was taken apart and loaded onto a flatbed truck Monday night, a day after it sparked protests and looting of nearby businesses. Mayor Randall Woodfin promised to remove the m0nument by Tuesday to stop violence in Birmingham's downtown, and heavy equipment was moved into the park Monday evening. The top of the obelisk was down by about 10 p.m., and the second of three sections was removed shortly after 11 p.m. By 2:30 a.m., the third section was gone, meaning the full obelisk was gone and workers were left with the base of the statue. Read more.
