The downtown COVID-19 testing site has changed its hours and will now be open 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. seven days a week. Patients must call 205-975-1881 before going for a test and speak with a provider, who will determine whether they should be tested. The call center hours now are 7 a.m. to 7
Auburn University, the University of Alabama and many Birmingham-area colleges and universities have canceled spring commencement ceremonies and have decided to continue online courses during summer in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,535, growing by more than 50% since Wednesday morning. One week ago, the state had 604 confirmed cases and three deaths. The state Department of Public Health reported this afternoon that there have been 21 confirmed deaths from the disease, and the state is investigating 17 other deaths of people who had been diagnosed with the virus. Read more.
MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday ordered Alabama residents to stay home except for essential needs, imploring citizens to take the new coronavirus seriously and distance themselves from others. “COVID-19 is an imminent threat to our way of life and you need to understand that we are past urging people to stay at home," Ivey said during a news conference at the state Capitol. "It is now the law.” The order requires Alabamians to stay in their places of residence unless traveling to obtain necessary supplies such as food or medicine or going to work if they are part of the “essential workforce.” The order goes into effect Saturday at 5 p.m. Read more.
The governor today called a statewide stay-at-home order to begin Saturday at 5 p.m. and last through the end of the month. The order is similar to the emergency order already in place but is focused on people, ordering them to stay at home except for essential errands such as grocery shopping and trips to the pharmacy. Come back to BirminghamWatch for the complete story.
Birmingham’s shelter-in-place order has been extended through April 30. The extension, approved unanimously by the Birmingham City Council on Friday, is intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the city by effectively instituting a citywide curfew, with exceptions for “essential” activities such as purchasing food, seeking health care or engaging in solitary outdoor recreation. Read more.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,270, the state Department of Public Health reported. The agency said it has confirmed 17 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic and is investigating the cause of death of another 15 people who had tested positive for COVID-19. Read more.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones says Alabama is an "unhealthy" state with a high-risk population. He says officials should implement strict measures to fight the spread of COVID-19. Read more.
Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday issued an executive order to help reduce a backlog of state inmates in county jails as the coronavirus outbreak continues in Alabama. “Because the conditions of the jails inherently heighten the possibility of COVID-19 transmission, I find that it would promote the safety and protection of the civilian population to allow local officials to reduce the number of local inmates being held in county jails in a way that does not jeopardize public safety,” the order said. The order also “cut red tape” to allow quick expansion of medical facilitates and speed the process for out-of-state and retired doctors to work in Alabama. Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, said he expected the order to affect about 300 inmates. Read more.
Railroad Park is in danger of being closed by Monday if parkgoers do not follow shelter-in-place rules active for all of Birmingham. Ducks are about the only ones allowed to gather or even sit on the ground at the park. Read more.
