The number of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients spiked over the weekend. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 381 inpatients being treated for the virus Sunday. That’s an increase of 51 patients from Saturday’s report and 80 more than the previous Sunday — a rise of 26.6% over the week.
Conservation groups have filed a petition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, claiming that Alabama Power has imposed “unjust” charges on customers using solar power. The Southern Environmental Law Center, along with Birmingham law firm Ragsdale, LLC, filed the petition this month on behalf of environmental advocacy group GASP and four Alabama Power customers with solar installations. The petition calls on FERC to compel the Alabama Public Service Commission to enforce federal laws protecting solar customers from unfair treatment by their utility. Read more.
For the second day in a row, the number of new cases of COVID-19 has increased in Alabama — barely — though they still remain well below those from a month ago. Read more.
Parker High School is now administering vaccinations without an appointment. The site is operating Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m., for walk-up or drive-thru clients, UAB announced Thursday. UAB also said that Alabamians age 16 and older can schedule their vaccine appointment by time, date and location at www.uabmedicinevaccine.org. Those appointments can be scheduled at AOH Cathedral
Alabama could have a “return to normality” this fall if people continue to get vaccinations as they are now, a UAB expert said Thursday. UAB School of Public Health professor Suzanne Judd said vaccinated people could feel confident returning to their pre-pandemic lifestyles when the rate of cases drops to 5 per 100,000. That is likely to happen when 70% of the population of the state, or about 3.5 million people, has immunity to the novel coronavirus. Read more.
New COVID-19 cases increased in Thursday’s report by the Alabama Department of Public Health. There were 421 new cases, the first report above 400 in more than a week. Read more.
UAB Health System CEO Will Ferniany will end his health care career having led the organization through the coronavirus pandemic. He plans to retire later this year. Read more.
After a steady decline over the past three months, the trend of new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations is flattening out, or in some cases pointing slightly upward. In BirminghamWatch’s periodic analysis of COVID data, the 7-day average of new cases reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health is 311.14 per day, up from 294.86 a week beforehand. Read more.
MONTGOMERY — Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall warned local governments Tuesday to use incoming funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act in accordance with state law or be subject to criminal charges. Read more.
Alabama is one of several states halting distribution of the vaccine as federal health officials examine links to adverse health effects. Read more.
