Virginia Martin

Alabama Hits All-Time High for New Daily COVID Cases, Death Toll Reaches 12,000

For the first time since the COVID outbreak began, Alabama has recorded more than 6,000 new cases in a single day. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported on Saturday that 6,210 additional cases had been diagnosed, bringing the cumulative total for the pandemic to 659,750. The daily count broke the old record of 5,498 cases set Jan. 5. The 7-day moving average of new cases also reached a new all-time high, with 4,549.29 cases per day tallied over the past week. The previous peak of 4,280 cases was set Jan. 10. Saturday’s average jumped by a whopping 887.14 cases over Friday’s report, the largest day-over-day increase since the pandemic began. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Jefferson County Stays In-House and Hires Markert as County Manager

The Jefferson County Commission on Friday named Cal Markert as the new county manager, effective Oct. 1, 2021. Markert has been deputy county manager while the commission looked for a replacement for its first county manager, Tony Petelos, who retired in June. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Amid ICU Shortage, Alabama Hospitals See Record-Breaking Pediatric Caseload

Alabama's hospitals are caring for more children with COVID-19 than ever before, the latest development in an increasingly dire situation for the state's health care system. Read more.

by Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

Alabama Eighth for COVID Deaths

Alabama ranks eighth among states with the highest daily death rates per capita from COVID-19 in the past week. The state has had 27 deaths per 100,000 residents. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

How Historic Food Stamps Boost Will Bring Relief to Southern Families: ‘This Is a Really Big Deal’

Millions of Americans receiving assistance with food and groceries will see an increase of about 25% in their benefits this fall thanks to new legislation approved by the Biden Administration on Monday. Read more.

by Stephan Bisaha, WBHM

Alabama Health Officials Recommend Third Shot for Immunocompromised

The Alabama Department of Public Health is recommending individuals with weakened immune systems get a third COVID-19 shot to protect against serious illness. The ADPH is not currently recommending booster vaccine doses for the general public and said a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is for “people in whom the initial response

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

Birmingham Council Set to Fund Rapid Transit Project Next Week

The Birmingham City Council is set to allocate $18 million of the city’s American Rescue Plan funding toward the construction of the city’s Bus Rapid Transit system. The project, which will create a 10-mile, higher-speed public transit corridor through 25 neighborhoods, broke ground in December. But rising construction costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic had placed significant strain on the project. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

ALDOT Moves Road Money to Admin Fund

The Alabama Department of Transportation recently moved $7 million from a road fund to help cover administrative costs for the last three months of the fiscal year. The department said the move is allowable and typical late in a budget year. The money is coming from ALDOT’s Public Road and Bridge Fund, which consists largely of gas tax receipts and federal funding receipts, but not the 2019 gas tax increase. That account, known as the Rebuild Alabama Fund, is specifically prohibited from being diverted from road and bridge projects for other purposes. State agencies often transfer Legislature-allocated money between funds throughout a budget year, as allowed by law. The actions have to go through the Department of Finance. Still, the decrease in road funding and increase in administrative funding first reported by Alabama Daily News Monday gives some lawmakers pause. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Health Official Warns About the Danger of Being in Crowds as High School Football Fully Kicks Off

Dr. David Hicks didn’t say fans of high school football should steer clear of Friday night lights when he spoke at Birmingham City Hall this morning. But the deputy health officer of Jefferson County said high school football games — which kick off fully this week — and similarly populated events have an obvious risk

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

K-12 Students to Be Tested for COVID in Schools

A $147 million program to test kindergarten through 12-grade students for COVID in Alabama’s public and private schools is to begin within a few weeks, UAB, education and health officials said Monday. Schools will test asymptomatic teachers, staff and students over age 12, with parental permission. Officials will use rapid antigen testing for quick results.

by Virginia MacDonald