Coronavirus

Ivey Issues Order to Reduce Jail Crowding, Make Health Care Expansion Easier

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.

by Virginia MacDonald

Alabama’s COVID-19 Numbers: 1,265 Confirmed Cases, 17 Deaths

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,265, 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. The total number of people diagnosed with the disease rose by 104 since Wednesay night, but the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 remained the same. Jefferson County continued to have the most cases in the state with 327. But the state's most populous county still had no confirmed deaths from the disease, though health officials were investigating the deaths of five people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Railroad Park: Follow the Rules or the Park Will Be Closed

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.

by Tom Gordon

How Long Does the Coronavirus Live?

As the fear of coming into contact with the novel coronavirus increases, people are asking how long the virus can live on surfaces and in the air. There’s no one easy answer because the virus can live for different lengths of time on different surfaces, but a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine sought to break down those risks. The study found that the half-life of the virus hanging in the air is about one hour. But researchers still could measure viable virus in the air after three hours. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

New Coronavirus Tracker Hopes To Locate Hotspots In Rural, Underserved Areas

UAB has created a new symptom checker to track the spread of COVID-19. The website hopes to give public health officials insight on virus hotspots, especially in underserved communities. Read more.

by Miranda Fulmore, WBHM

Theater Troupes Left Without an Audience to Entertain

Casting a wide net, the COVID-19 threat has ensnared local theaters, leaving stages bare and seats empty. Under orders to close, the theaters have canceled ongoing or scheduled productions and rescheduled other events, and they are scrambling to replace the audience revenue upon which they can no longer count. “It’s pretty scary,” said Tam DeBolt, executive director of Terrific New Theatre, a Birmingham institution for 41 years. “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. Theaters close all the time. It happens all over the country — every day, I’m sure. But something like this, it’s devastating for everybody.” Read more.

by Tom Gordon

Birmingham-hosted World Games Pushed Back Until 2022

The International World Games, scheduled for 2021 in Birmingham, will be held in 2022. The event, originally slated to occur July 15-25, 2021, will now be held July 7-17, 2022, the International World Games Association announced Thursday morning. The change is meant to avoid a clash with the Olympic Games, which was postponed to July 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The games were originally slated to take place this July in Tokyo. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Birmingham Community Foundation Targets $1 Million to COVID-19 Response

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is dedicating more than $1 million from its competitive grantmaking funds for a first phase of response to the COVID-19 crisis. Applications are being accepted now from organizations on the front lines of providing critical services and economic assistance in the Birmingham region. Read more.

by Carol Nunnelley

COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Rise to 1,161

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,161, according to the state Department of Public Health. 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.

by BirminghamWatch

Association Protests Plan to Put Recovering COVID-19 Patients in Nursing Homes

The Alabama Nursing Home Association opposes a decision by Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson to place patients who are recovering from COVID-19 in nursing homes. “The bottom line is for the past month, we have been doing everything that we can to prevent COVID-19 from entering nursing homes,” said John Matson, spokesman for the nursing home association. “Now, Dr. Wilson wants nursing homes to accept patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 even though they still exhibit symptoms and have not fully recovered. That decision goes against sound medical advice. “Just last week, the American Medical Directors Association issued guidance stating that nursing homes should not admit a COVID-19 patient until the patient has two negative tests, which is a test-based strategy according to the Centers for Disease Control, “ Matson said. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald