Government

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.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

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.

by Andrew Yeager, WBHM

Alabama COVID-19 Death Toll Rises to 13, Five More Being Checked

Alabama's death toll from COVID-19 rose this morning from six to 13, and the state Public Health Department reported it was looking into five more deaths of people who had been diagnosed with the disease. The department said there have been three deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Chambers County and two deaths each in Lee and Shelby counties. These counties reported one death each: Jackson, Lauderdale, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery and Tallapoosa. Officials did not say where the other five deaths occurred. The department verifies the cause of death before adding a case to its official lisst. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Toll Rises to 13

The Alabama Public Health Department raised the state's death toll from COVID-19 this morning from six to 13 and reported a total of 949 confirmed cases of the disease in the state. The department said there have been three deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Chambers County and two deaths each in Lee and Shelby counties. These counties reported one death each: Jackson, Lauderdale, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery and Tallapoosa. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Lawyers: Set Parole Hearings, Prevent Virus Spread in Alabama’s Crowded Prisons

A group of law school faculty members and former prosecutors has written Gov. Kay Ivey urging her to have the state Board of Pardons and Paroles hold expedited hearings to reduce the risk of COVID-19 to Alabama’s prison population. “The Board should prioritize the release, if necessary into 14-day quarantine, of prisoners age 50 and over and those with compromised immune systems,” the letter stated. “Alabama should recognize the parole system as one avenue through which to ameliorate the public-health threat posed by our overcrowded prisons.” Read more.

by Tom Gordon

Alabama COVID-19 Numbers: 935 Confirmed Cases, 6 Deaths

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose by more than 100 to 935 today, the Alabama Public Health Department reported.  Six deaths from the virus have been confirmed by state health officials. The coronavirus has now been reported in 59 of the state's 67 counties. While the official death count stood at six, more deaths have been reported by hospitals; the state has a process to verify the virus was to blame before including deaths in the official numbers. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

No Need to Worry About Drinking Water During the COVID-19 Crisis, ADEM Director Says

Public drinking water is safe, and one thing Alabama residents don’t need to worry about, as the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the state, the director of the Alabama Department of Environment said. “With so many things Alabamians have to worry about – their jobs, social distancing, the welfare of loved ones, gathering food and other necessities -- the safety of their drinking water shouldn’t be one of them,” ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said. “The water they get from their tap, whether it’s from a large municipal system or a small, rural utility, is 100 percent safe due to the proven safety requirements they are required to follow and that ADEM enforces. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Ordered to Stay at Home or Free to Wander? It Depends on Where you Live.

While a few municipalities — Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, in particular — have felt the need to institute stay-at-home orders with the force of law to slow the rate of coronavirus infections, most cities have taken a less restrictive approach. Some are suggesting that residents stay home. Others are saying only that they’re following the lead of the state and Jefferson County authorities. All of Alabama fell under an order closing non-essential businesses as of 5 p.m. Saturday. The Jefferson County Department of Health was the first entity to start strongly recommending people curtail their activities and almost two weeks ago issued an order closing all non-essential businesses and services, an order that was lifted when the statewide order took effect. But whether you’re required to abide by more restrictive measures depends on where you live. Read more.

by Nick Patterson

Falling Tax Revenue Looms for State, Counties, Cities

Late April will bring financial pain for state and local governments as businesses in Alabama begin submitting lower taxes because of the coronavirus. With most restaurants, hotels and retail businesses either shut down or seeing little customer traffic, government officials expect a sharp decrease April 20 when they receive March sales and lodging taxes. The notable exceptions are sales taxes from grocery stores and online merchants. The situation has become so dire that the Alabama Department of Revenue is offering relief to hotels that are unable to make timely payments on their February, March and April lodging taxes. The department will waive late fees through June 1. The state is giving similar help for sales taxes on a case-by-case basis for merchants whose sales are affected by the virus. Read more.

by Scott Morris

Alabama House Members Voted for $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Even Though They Didn’t Like All of It

Voterama in Congress WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives approved a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill during the legislative week ending March 27. Congress debated no other substantive measures during the week. Alabama’s House of Representatives members supported the bill, although not always happily.

by Voterama in Congress