Coronavirus

COVID-19 Restrictions Not Slowing Work For Divorce Lawyers

Divorce lawyer Frances Ross Nolan, a partner at the Birmingham firm Nolan Byers, remembers hearing about the coronavirus back in February. It was this sort of vague notion there was this thing out there. Then she received an email from a client whose kids were scheduled to go on a cruise with the other parent. The mom was concerned about the virus. “That was probably the first work-related, bring it into this universe experience that I had,” Nolans says. “That email was March 4th.” By middle of the month, Nolan, like so many others, shut down the office and began working remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an issue for every corner of the legal world. Jury trials in Jefferson County are on hold. The Alabama Supreme Court has suspended most in-person matters as well. It’s a challenge for those in family law because many meetings tend to happen in-person. But they’ve been able to keep practicing with a few adjustments. Read more.

Blount County COVID-19 Test Site Set Up for Wednesday

A one-day drive through COVID-19 testing clinic will be in operation Wednesday (April 22) in Blount County, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Read more.

Birmingham Mayor Undecided on When to Reopen City Economy

The city of Birmingham is working closely with Alabama health officials to determine when the city’s economy will reopen. At a press conference Tuesday, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin offered updates on the city’s fight against the coronavirus. Woodfin said it’s important for residents to continue following the stay-at-home order as local and state officials take the next steps to address the economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Woodfin was joined by Wesley Willeford, medical director of disease control with the Jefferson County Department of Health. Willeford said the number of new coronavirus cases is decreasing each day. He said that’s due to social distancing efforts and the work of the community, as residents limit interaction with each other. Read more.

Ivey: Shelter in Place Won’t End Before April 30

Gov. Kay Ivey said this morning that she has no plans to reopen the state's economy until testing for the coronavirus has increased. Ivey also said her shelter-in-place order will remain in effect until the end of April.  "At this point I plan to base all decisions on data, not desire. Testing is still a challenge. We can't really reopen the economy until testing needs are met," she said. Read more.

COVID-19 Cases Hit 5,134 in Alabama

Alabama’s cases of COVID-19 stood at 5,134 today, with 175 deaths. The Alabama Department of Public Health has confirmed 144 of those deaths resulted from COVID-19 and is investigating the remainder of the cases, in which people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 died. Read more.

Coronavirus Rates in Alabama Hit Blacks the Hardest — and Experts Are Not Surprised

In Alabama, COVID-19 is taking a significantly greater toll on black residents than on whites and the population in general, with a higher rate of disease incidence and a higher rate of fatalities as a result. And what’s happening here reflects what’s happening all over the country, as acknowledged by a growing chorus of medical experts who are pointing out that COVID-19 is having a pronounced impact on the black community compared to the population in general. For many people this revelation comes as a shock. Not so for Dr. Mona Fouad, director of the UAB Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center, who has developed years of research telling her to expect this pandemic to hit black communities harder. Read more. Read sidebar

CORONAVIRUS The Rumor: Black Americans Are Not Affected as Much by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The Rumor: Black Americans Are Not Affected as Much by the Coronavirus Pandemic

As evidence mounts that black Americans are feeling a disproportionate weight of the coronavirus pandemic, some are unaware of an ironic rumor that has now been debunked. That rumor held that black people were immune or more resistant to COVID-19. Citylab.com characterized the rumor as an attempt at humor, with the March 14 headline, “Why You Should Stop Joking That Black People are Immune to Coronavirus.” But the rumor persists. According to the newspaper The Baltimore Sun, as recently as April 14, “Baltimore officials are planning a targeted ad campaign to reach the city’s black residents in hopes of combating rumors that black people cannot get the new coronavirus, the city’s health commissioner announced Tuesday.” Read more.

Coronavirus Pushes Telemedicine Efforts, Access in Alabama

Prior to March and the COVID-19 outbreak in Alabama, Dr. Beverly Jordan’s medical practice in Enterprise did not conduct online telemedicine visits with patients. But in a recent week, Professional Medical Associates conducted 30 remote visits with patients who either suspected they had COVID-19 or have pre-existing conditions and were trying to avoid the virus by staying home. “This outbreak has clearly pushed telemedicine in this state,” Jordan said. Read more.

Hospital Association Official Confident Alabama’s Hospitals Can Handle COVID Caseload 

The head of the Alabama Hospital Association says he’s confident the state's hospitals will not go over capacity in dealing with COVID-19 patients.  “I'm feeling optimistic that as long as we practice social distancing, we're going to be okay as a state,” said Dr. Donald Williamson, president and CEO of the association.  Read more.

Alabama Reports 5,008 Cases of COVID-19

Alabama’s cases of COVID-19 stood at 5,008 today, with 168 deaths. The Alabama Department of Public Health has confirmed 113 of those deaths resulted from COVID-19 and is investigating the remainder of the cases, in which people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 died. Since the pandemic began, 641 people have been hospitalized with the disease. Read more.