Category: Coronavirus
‘Huge Number’ of JeffCo Residents Soon Eligible for COVID Vaccines
Many people will have to wait weeks, maybe months to get the COVID-19 vaccine, despite being eligible. Read more.
COVID-19 Averages, Hospitalizations Continue to Drop in Friday Report
The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama continued to fall in Friday’s report by the state Department of Public Health, as did the number of people hospitalized for the disease.
The agency’s daily update showed 1,496 new cases for the latest 24-hour period, bringing the overall total for the pandemic to 469,319. The state averaged 1,962 new cases a day over the past week, the lowest since an average of 1,909 on Nov. 14 and less than half the highest average of 4,280 on Jan. 10.
There were 1,666 people in Alabama hospitals on Thursday for treatment of COVID-19. That is the lowest count since Nov. 29.
Read more.
COVID Death Toll in Alabama Tops 8,000, but New Cases and Hospitalizations Still Falling
The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalized COVID patients continues to drop in Alabama, though the number of deaths attributed to the virus has passed another milestone.
In BirminghamWatch’s periodic analysis of data provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the state death toll stood at 8,203 as of Wednesday morning, an increase of 1,031 in the past seven days. Read more.
ADPH Adds 309 Deaths to Alabama’s COVID-19 Toll
The Alabama Department of Public Health added 309 deaths from COVID-19 and 2,118 new cases of the disease in its daily update on Wednesday.
A total of 8,203 people have died from the coronavirus in the state since the pandemic began last March, according to ADPH figures. Officials have said the large numbers of deaths reported on several days during recent weeks were a result of a continuing review of deaths, dating back to early November, to determine if they were caused by the disease.
Wednesday’s report brought the number of cases of COVID-19 in Alabama to 465,056. There has been an average of 2,281 new cases a day over the past week. The average has steadily dropped, from a high of 4,280 on Jan. 10 and 2,776 a week ago.
Read more.
Alabama Needs More Vaccines to Stop the Spread of COVID-19, Doctor Says
To combat COVID-19, the virus variants that are now spreading in the U.S. and the high infection rate in Alabama, the state needs more vaccines, the head of UAB’s Infectious Disease Division said Tuesday.
“People need to get that first shot before new variants of the virus take hold,” Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo said during a press conference.
But Alabama still leads the nation with a positivity rate of 33.4%, and only 1.1% of Alabamians have gotten the vaccine so far. Read more.
Bill Would Filter Emergency Health Orders Through Layman Board in Jefferson County
Lawmakers are proposing legislation that would require an advisory board to weigh in on decisions made by the Jefferson County health officer before new rules are enacted.
Since March, many leaders in the medical community faced challenges after putting mandates in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. There were mask mandates and the stay-at-home order which led to several business closures.
Republican state Rep. David Wheeler has introduced legislation that would require public input on the Jefferson County health officer’s decisions. That office is currently held by Dr. Mark Wilson. Wheeler said his bill would allow a board of nine people to provide any recommendations on public health policies before orders are issued to residents. The board would have 10 days to respond
Read more..
Legislative Session Starts With Caution, Big Bills
MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Legislature gaveled in Tuesday for the first day of what leadership hopes are productive early weeks of the session, despite COVID-19 protocols that will slow their businesses.
One House member was sent home after testing positive for COVID-19. Representatives were encouraged but not required to take a rapid virus test upon entering the State House. The member was not identified by leadership. One staff member who had come into contact with the lawmaker also was sent home to quarantine.
House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, said that, despite the positive test, he is encouraged by the cooperation and attitudes of members.
“We’ve just got to learn to function in a little different environment and we’ve just got to be willing to take on all the safety precautions,” McCutcheon said. Read more.
More from the Legislature today:
Marsh Steps Down, Reed Steps Into Pro Tem Role in the Senate
Bill Would Filter Emergency Health Orders Through Layman Board in Jefferson County
Read more on the legislative session, which began Tuesday.
Daily Average Number of New COVID-19 Cases Continues Downward Trend
The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 206 deaths from COVID-19 and 2,078 new cases of the disease Tuesdsay in its daily report.
There have been 462,938 cases and 7,894 deaths from the coronavirus in the state since the pandemic began last March.
The latest figures give reason for some optimism. The state has averaged 2,432 new cases a day over the past week, down from 2,767 cases a day a week earlier and 3,714 a day on Jan. 1. The highest daily average was 4,280 for the week that ended Jan. 10.
Read more.
Online Vaccine Registration Now Available Statewide
Alabama now has a statewide online coronavirus vaccination registration website up and running. Read more.
Woodfin Describes Battle With COVID, Sees Relief Coming for the City From the Biden Administration
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin urges Birmingham residents to continue taking the new coronavirus seriously, and he speaks from firsthand experience.
Woodfin told BirminghamWatch on Saturday that he is mostly recovered after being hospitalized briefly with COVID-related pneumonia, but it’s an uphill battle, including neurological effects that left him barely able to walk for several days. Read more.
