Science

5 Things to Know About Alabama’s Back-to-School COVID Toolkit

Over the last several weeks, the hyper-contagious delta variant and surge in COVID-19 cases have pushed school districts to make last-minute changes to their plans for back to school. Many health officials and school administrators said they were waiting for the Alabama Department of Public Health to release its back-to-school guidance in order to make decisions about masking, social distancing and vaccinations for K-12 schools. Now, that 2021-2022 toolkit is here, and it has prompted some schools in Jefferson County to quickly update their COVID-19 protocols. The state guidance provides schools and guardians with checklists, testing guides and information on how to best protect students and teachers throughout the school year. Read more.

by Kyra Miles, Report for America Corps for WBHM

Schools Opening Short on Teachers Because of an Increase in Retirements

Beadie Bell has been a teacher in the Bessemer City School system for 20 years now. As a pre-school educator, she has seen many teachers come and go over the years but said she has seen a particularly “surprising” number of educators who have chosen to retire this past year. According to 2020-21 numbers provided by Alabama’s Teacher Retirement System, 3,515 employees retired during the school year, the highest number since 2010-11. It’s a trend many school systems throughout the state have seen in the past year, and the number keeps growing. That trend has left many school systems looking for new teachers even as they begin opening their doors for the new school year. Jefferson County’s school system, for instance, has 63 open slots for certified teachers, counselors and coaches posted on the Alabama Department of Education’s site as the system nears its Aug. 10 opening date. Birmingham City Schools had 56 open teaching positions listed on the DOE site and 29 open sports coaching positions as schools started Tuesday. Read more. More on the upcoming school term: State Hiring Marketing Firm for Teacher Recruitment 5 Things to Know About Alabama’s Back-to-School COVID Toolkit

by Michelle Love

Delta Strikes Birmingham Public Works, but Mayor Says the City Will Get to Your Trash

Approximately 10% of Birmingham’s public works employees have tested positive for COVID-19, causing delays in city services such as trash pickup and grass cutting. Mayor Randall Woodfin, who recently required masks to be worn on city property, urged residents to get the vaccine and asked for patience while public works employees continue to catch up on their work. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Alabama’s COVID Hospitalizations Jump by Almost 30% Overnight

The number of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients in Alabama saw a major spike Monday, as the delta variant of the virus continues to spread quickly. The report from the Alabama Department of Health’s online dashboard showed 1,883 hospitalized COVID patients, up by 432 over Sunday’s total. That’s an increase of 29.8% in just one day. Read more.

by Robert Carter

UAB Doc Predicts New Cases of COVID Could Rocket to 13,000 a Day by the End of August

If you think the recent spike in COVID pandemic data is concerning, a new study by a professor at UAB has just given you a lot more to worry about. Dr. Suzanne Judd, who teaches in the school’s Department of Public Health, has released a report that says Alabama could reach a peak of 13,000 new cases per day by the end of August. That number is roughly five times the number of new cases reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health on Thursday, more than triple the highest 7-day moving average recorded in early January, and more than 100 times the lowest 7-day average this year — a mark set just 24 days ago. Put another way, the number of new cases each day would multiply more than a hundredfold by Aug. 26, just 49 days after the low point of 121 new daily cases on July 6. Read more.

by Robert Carter

JeffCo Health Officer, Local Officials Discussing Mask Rules as Alabama’s New COVID Case Average Leaps Over 2,000 Per Day

As the daily average of new COVID cases topped 2,000 Thursday, Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson said he has recommended to local officials that they consider universal mask use. "I am very concerned about our sharply rising number of COVID-19 cases, the highly contagious nature of the Delta variant and the increasing burden on our hospitals,” said Wilson, who has the authority to issue a countywide mask mandate. “Consideration should be given to universal mask use until the current surge in COVID-19 cases subsides,” he said. Read more. What a Difference a Month Makes: Average of New COVID Cases Increases 15-fold Since July 6

by Virginia MacDonald and Robert Carter

Alabama’s New COVID Case Average Leaps Over 2,000 Per Day

The number of new cases of COVID infections in Alabama took another big jump on Thursday, pushing the 7-day moving average past the 2,000 mark. That number has doubled in the past week, and it has increased by more than 17 times since the recent low set July 6. Read more.

by Robert Carter

‘Lost Revenue’ Could Be Used in Prison Fix

Alabama fiscal leaders should soon know how much of the state’s federal COVID-19 relief funds can replace lost revenue and potentially fund new prisons. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

More Extreme Weather in Gulf States Means More Power Outages. Are Energy Companies Ready for It?

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is off to a busy start, and forecasters say it is likely to be as active as last year, when thousands were without power for weeks after hurricanes Laura, Zeta, Cristobal and Delta hit the Gulf South. Climate studies show that a more-active hurricane season is just one of the new normals that climate change is bringing to the region, and with that comes bigger threats to the power grid. Read more.

by Tegan Wendland, WBHM

Medical Association Hosts Q&A for Parents on Vaccines, Masks as Students Return to School

MONTGOMERY — As students across the state prepare to go back to school, physicians are offering Alabama parents an opportunity to ask questions and get answers about vaccines, mask wearing and other COVID-19 best practices. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama is hosting a Facebook Live event Thursday at 4 p.m. in which doctors will be discussing the recent resurgence of the virus and what parents can expect as school starts back over the next month. Parents can submit questions during the event. The organization says the goal is to offer reliable medical advice from doctors to parents concerned by misinformation floating around social media. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News