Science

Ivey Orders Residents to Stay Home; Marshall Says State Will Enforce

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday ordered Alabama residents to stay home except for essential needs, imploring citizens to take the new coronavirus seriously and distance themselves from others. “COVID-19 is an imminent threat to our way of life and you need to understand that we are past urging people to stay at home," Ivey said during a news conference at the state Capitol. "It is now the law.” The order requires Alabamians to stay in their places of residence unless traveling to obtain necessary supplies such as food or medicine or going to work if they are part of the “essential workforce.” The order goes into effect Saturday at 5 p.m. Read more.

by Caroline Beck and Todd Stacy, Alabama Daily News

Gov. Ivey Issues Statewide Stay-at-Home Order

The governor today called a statewide stay-at-home order to begin Saturday at 5 p.m. and last through the end of the month. The order is similar to the emergency order already in place but is focused on people, ordering them to stay at home except for essential errands such as grocery shopping and trips to the pharmacy. Come back to BirminghamWatch for the complete story.

by BirminghamWatch

City to Birmingham Residents: Stay Home Through April 30

Birmingham’s shelter-in-place order has been extended through April 30. The extension, approved unanimously by the Birmingham City Council on Friday, is intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the city by effectively instituting a citywide curfew, with exceptions for “essential” activities such as purchasing food, seeking health care or engaging in solitary outdoor recreation. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Alabama’s COVID-19 Toll: 1,315 Confirmed Cases, 21 Deaths

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,315, and the state Department of Public Health reported 21 deaths from the disease. The agency is investigating 13 other deaths of people who had been diagnosed with the virus. Jefferson County leads the state with 325 confirmed cases, and officials are investigating five deaths in the county of patients who were previously diagnosed with the disease; none of those were confirmed to be the result of COVID-19. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Hit 1,270; Confirmed Deaths Stand at 17

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama climbed today to 1,270, 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. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Doug Jones: Alabama ‘Critically Unprepared’ for COVID-19

Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones says Alabama is an "unhealthy" state with a high-risk population. He says officials should implement strict measures to fight the spread of COVID-19. Read more.

by Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

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