Category: Coronavirus
Birmingham Could Be Two Weeks Away From NYC COVID-19 Rates
The coronavirus pandemic in Alabama is not as bad as hot spots elsewhere in the country, but public health officials expect that to change. Read more.
COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Pass the 1,000 Mark, 17 Deaths Reported
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,013, the state Public Health Department said. The agency said it has confirmed 17 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic and is investigating the cause of death of another nine people who had tested positive for COVID-19.
The spread of the disease in Alabama has been dramatic over the past week. The Public Health Department reported the state’s first death from COVID-19 one week ago today – March 25 – and said it had confirmed 386 cases statewide at the time.
Read more.
SNAP Recipients Get Additional Benefits
Some Alabamians enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called SNAP and formerly referred to as food stamps, got additional funds April 1 as part of a federal response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Current SNAP recipients will receive a supplement in their accounts that will take their March benefits to the monthly maximum for family size regardless of income,” Barry Spear, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Human Resources, told Alabama Daily News. “Families already receiving the monthly maximum benefit will not receive the supplement.” Read more.
Alabama Hits 999 Confirmed Cases of COVID-19, 13 Deaths
Alabama had hit 999 confirmed cases of COVID-19 by the end of the night Tuesday with 13 confirmed deaths. In total, 24 deaths linked to the new coronavirus had been reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health, which then confirms coronavirus as the cause of death. Read more.
Amid Prayers and Protective Gear, Legislature Postpones Session
MONTGOMERY — State lawmakers walked one by one into their respective chambers, each keeping a strict distance from one another and many wearing protective masks and gloves as the House and Senate met at the State House Tuesday.
The Legislature was forced to convene Tuesday to formally adopt a joint rule allowing for the postponement of a legislative session during a state of emergency. Fifty-eight of 105 House members were in attendance, each asked to sit with a seat between them in chairs specially marked by neon green sticky notes. Twenty-two of 35 senators were present in the much more spacious upper chamber, enough to conduct the limited business of the day: deciding when to reconvene the 2020 regular session amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Both the House and Senate agreed to meet again on April 28, hoping the worst of the outbreak will be over by then. Read more.
Gov. Ivey Awards $9.5 Million in Broadband Expansion Grants
MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey awarded 20 broadband expansion grants totaling more than $9.5 million to provide high-speed internet access to communities across Alabama.
The grants are part of the Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund and awarded to nine broadband providers to help fund multiple projects in their coverage areas.
Ivey said that high-speed Internet is always important to have but especially now as cases of COVID-19 have increased in the state and more people are asked to work and learn at home. Public schools are now closed and students are finishing the academic year in their houses. Read more.
Thirteen Confirmed Deaths in Alabama from COVID-19, Nine Others Suspected
The number of deaths in Alabama from COVID-19 continued to rise today, with the state Public Department confirming 13 people have died from the disease and nine others are suspected of being victims.
That is more than double the six deaths reported at the end of the day Monday.
Read more.
Jefferson County Commission Sets Up $1 Million Virus Fund, Extends County Closings Through April
The Jefferson County Commission used its second emergency meeting of the COVID-19 pandemic to extend the closure of county facilities until April 30 and set up a $1 million COVID-19 fund to handle needs as they arise.
The first $80,750 of that $1 million was used to purchase 55 hospital beds from Jett Medical Company in the event a “surge hospital” must be established. Such a facility will be set up if local hospitals become overcrowded. Read more.
Making Sense of Alabama’s Coronavirus Numbers
If you’re following the coronavirus pandemic, you’re probably seeing a lot of numbers: confirmed cases, number of tests, deaths. The Alabama Department of Public Health has a map to keep track of it all. But if you’re tracking the coronavirus numbers carefully, you might notice they don’t always move the way you’d expect them to. For instance, the number of confirmed cases goes up while the number of tests don’t. Deaths are reported in the media, but they don’t show up in the state’s total. It’s all a product of how the state’s numbers are gathered and the time it takes to ensure they’re correct. Read more.
Employee at Vet Home, Patient at Nursing Home Diagnosed With COVID-19
An employee at the Bill Nichols Veterans Home in Alexander City has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the state Department of Veterans Affairs announced this morning. In addition, a patient at the Cherryhill Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Forestdale has tested positive for the virus. Read more.
