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Birmingham Council, Schools Extend Mask Requirements

Masks will remain mandatory in Birmingham through May 24. The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to extend the city’s face covering ordinance, requiring masks in all public places to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Exceptions are made for outdoor exercise and eating or drinking at restaurants or bars. Religious worship services are also exempt, though the ordinance still “strongly encourages” masks in those settings. The Birmingham City School Schools system also announced Tuesday that masks will be required in schools and all school-related events through the end of the school year to combat the threat from COVID-19. The city ordinance received the support of Mayor Randall Woodfin and most of the council, with the exception of District 2 Councilor Hunter Williams. Williams argued that the ordinance would make Birmingham an outlier in Jefferson County and the state of Alabama as a whole, placing “undue burden” on local businesses. The state’s mask ordinance is set to expire Friday, and Gov. Kay Ivey has said she will not renew it. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Enviro Groups Argue Ala. Power Plant Permit Could Violate Federal Sulfur Rules

Gasp and the Sierra Club have challenged a permit issued for operation of Plant Barry, near Mobile, saying it could allow the plant to emit sulfur dioxide at levels that violate federal standards. Sulfur dioxide is a major contributor to fine particle air pollution that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined can, even in exposure of five minutes, cause decrements in lung function, aggravation of asthma, and respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity. Studies also have linked it to premature death. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Ivey Expands COVID Vaccination Ages to 16 and Older

If you’re old enough to drive, you’re now old enough to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that beginning Monday, anyone aged 16 and older will be eligible for the vaccine. “Truly, this vaccine is our ticket back to normal life. We are so close to getting COVID-19 in the rearview, and until then, we should all keep wearing our masks, get vaccinated and use the common sense the good Lord gave us” she said. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Alabama Reports 400 New Cases, 54 Deaths in Friday’s COVID-19 Update

Alabama recorded 400 new cases of COVID-19 and 54 deaths from the disease in Friday's daily update by the state Department of Public Health. There have been 516,266 cases of the coronavirus and 10,607 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020. The state averaged 384 new cases a day over the past week, down from a high of 4,280 cases a day on Jan. 10. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Bill to Allow Churches and Small Businesses to Stay Open During Emergencies Goes to Governor

The Alabama Legislature on Thursday approved a bill that would allow churches and small businesses to remain open during states of emergency. It now goes to the governor. House Bill 103 by Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville, would allow businesses and places of worship to remain open as long as they comply with any emergency order, rules or regulations issued by the governor and state or local agencies. It would do away with the idea of “essential businesses.” Kiel has said small local retailers shouldn’t have been forced to close last year under public health orders while big box stores remained open. Democrats called the bill dangerous and said it could lead to super-spreader events in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, led Senate Democrats in a filibuster of the bill, arguing it put business interests over public health. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Coronavirus Numbers Show Slight Increase in Thursday Update

The decline in Alabama's COVID-19 figures leveled off Thursday as the number of new cases and individuals in hospitals ticked up slightly from earlier in the week. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 478 new cases in its daily update. That is up from 361 cases reported Tuesday and 408 on Wednesday. The daily average over the past weeks stood at 390 cases, up slightly from the previous day's average of 382 but below the figure of 441 a week earlier. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama’s New COVID Case Averages Drop to Levels Not Seen Since June

As Alabama’s mandate on wearing face masks comes to a close, the numbers for new COVID cases and deaths continue to fall, with new-case averages now below those last reported in June of last year. In Birmingham Watch’s periodic analysis of COVID data, the 7-day average of new cases reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health is now at 382.43 per day, a drop of more than 100 over the past seven days. It’s the first time that average has dropped below 400 since June 9, 2020. The longer-term 14-day average, which is less susceptible to fluctuations from data spikes, is now at 436.94 new cases per day. The last time this average was that low was on June 11. The average is down by 85 cases per day over the past week, or 16.3%. Read more.

by Robert Carter

One Home, Many Generations: States Addressing COVID Risk Among Families

COVID-19 poses an increased threat to the 18% of Americans who live in multigenerational households, according to an analysis by the Center for Public Integrity. The analysis of every county in the United States shows that people of color, who are at greater risk from the virus for a variety of factrors, a far more likelky to be living in the same home as older relatives. A handful of states have reconized the threat to multigenerational households and have prioritized the distribution of vaccines according. The state of Washington was the first to put such households near the top of its COVID-19 vaccine priority list. Read more.

by April Simpson, Susan Ferriss, Taylor Johnston, Pratheek Rebala, Center for Public Integrity
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