UPDATED — Calling it a matter of life and death, the chief medical officer of Jefferson County called for the closure of most retail stores beginning at 5 p.m. today. Those include furniture and home furnishing stores; clothing and shoe stores; jewelry; luggage and leather goods stores; department stores; sporting goods; hobby book and music stores; and florists. Read more.
Dozens of events have been canceled or postponed in cities and towns across Alabama because of the coronavirus.
Facing canceled events, closed venues, mounting revenue losses and growing layoffs, Alabama’s tourism and travel industry is digging in for what could become an extended battle with the coronavirus pandemic. As in every segment of global society, the state’s hospitality industry is struggling with the uncertainties of how severely and how long the crisis will affect everyday life. The stakes are obvious in a state that depends on the travel and tourism for 7.3 percent of its gross domestic product. The industry brought $15.5 billion to Alabama in 2018 and created an estimated 198,891 direct jobs, according to the Alabama Tourism Department’s latest annual report. Taxes paid by tourists saved each Alabama family $507. Read more.
Telehealth is playing growing role in helping to identify and treat people with the coronavirus, and to combat its spread across Alabama. Healthcare providers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, along with those at least one other network serving portions of the state, are expanding the use of cell phones, computers and other devices to connect patients with physicians to screen for COVID-19 and other illnesses. In addition, Medicare and Blue Cross have expanded their coverage for telehealth services. Read more.
The Alabama Department of Public Health on Thursday prohibited any gatherings involving 25 or more people, closed state beaches and child care facilities, prohibited on-site dining in restaurants and canceled non-emergency medical procedures. Gov. Kay Ivey said the order, effective through April 5, is the best way to contain the spread of the coronavirus and to stop a possible surge on Alabama hospitals and medical resources. “Despite our best efforts, the threat of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread and, unfortunately, we have not yet reached peak impact," Ivey said in a statement. “While I am pleased that many of our citizens are self-regulating and are practicing social distancing, we want to ensure that Alabama is doing our part to flatten the curve." Late Thursday, Ivey said her office and the Department of Public Health would offer further clarity on the 25-person rule for public gatherings and how it would be applied in business environments. As of Thursday afternoon, 78 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed statewide, up 28 cases from a day earlier. Jefferson County had the most cases at 34, followed by Lee County at 10, Shelby County at 9, Madison and Elmore Counties at 5, Tuscaloosa County at 4 and Montgomery County at 3. Baldwin, Calhoun, Chambers, Limestone, Mobile, Talladega and Walker Counties reported 1 case each. So far, in the U.S., 10,442 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed and 150 deaths are attributed to the disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more.
Samford University has developed a website that provides information about the coronavirus pandemic in Alabama. The pandemic data dashboard features information on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alabama, nationally and globally. It has a map showing the distribution of cases; users can click on any of the state's 67 counties for information about cases and risks there. Read more.
Gov. Kay Ivey today moved Alabama's primary runoff elections from next Tuesday, March 31, until July 14 because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Exercising my extraordinary powers under the Emergency Management Act, I am setting Alabama’s Primary Runoff Election for July 14, 2020,” Ivey said during a news conference this morning. “The ability to hold free and fair elections is an inherent right as citizens of the United States and the great state of Alabama, but the safety and wellbeing of Alabama citizens is paramount." She said recommendations that people practice social distancing and avoid crowds would be difficult to maintain in election day. Read more.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama continued to climb on Sunday, reaching 157. The Alabama Department of Public Health's afternoon briefing showed 71 of those cases were in Jefferson County. Shelby County accounted for 17 cases. Read more.
At several Morgan County Schools today, administrators will be handing out grab-and-go lunches and breakfasts for what was supposed to be the rest of the school week to nearly 2,000 students who requested them. On Monday, staff will do it again, handing out 10 meals for students to eat during the week. At Russellville City Schools, there’s one pick-up point available Monday through Friday for any student in the system to get a lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day. Across the state, public K-12 school systems are figuring out how to feed the students who often rely on school meals while they’re closed at least through early April in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Read more.
Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones likens the spread of coronavirus to a forest fire. “Only you can prevent this forest fire,” Jones says. “That’s how we need to approach this.” Jones says that means individuals should follow the advice of public health officials and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the disease. Health officials caution people not to go out unless necessary and wash hands frequently. Jones spoke with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager about coronavirus testing, the federal response, and its effect on Alabama’s upcoming runoff election. Read more.
