Science

Alabama’s COVID-related Hospitalizations Continue to Fall, While New Cases and Deaths Rise Slightly

The crisis of a shortage of hospital beds for COVID patients in Alabama is now just a bad memory. In Birmingham Watch’s periodic analysis of data provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the number of beds occupied by those infected with the virus is now less than one-fourth of the peak reached in early January. The agency reported Wednesday that 773 beds held COVID inpatients, down from a high of 3,084 on Jan. 11. The decline in the number of hospitalized patients is one of the supporting statistics used by Dr. Suzanne Judd, an epidemiologist with UAB Medicine, to forecast that the state may reach herd immunity — a point where so many people were either vaccinated or were producing antibodies to the virus after being infected, that the spread of the virus comes to a virtual halt. She said that could happen by as soon as late summer. Read more.

by Robert Carter

“The Edge of the Woods”: UAB Epidemiologist Says Herd Immunity Could Be Reached by Late Spring

An epidemiologist at UAB Medicine thinks that Alabama may be headed toward a long-sought goal in the COVID pandemic and may reach that goal sooner than many had expected. Dr. Suzanne Judd said in a press conference Wednesday that the state is getting closer to herd immunity, a state where the virus stops its spread because a large part of the population is immune, either through vaccination or by because they have antibodies in their systems because of previous infections — in many cases, infections people didn’t even realize they had. Read more.

by Robert Carter

COVID-19 Cases Increase in Tuesday Report

After declining for two weeks, the average daily number of COVID-19 cases in Alabama has begun to increase this week. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,453 new cases of the disease in its report Tuesday, up from 857 on Sunday and 677 on Monday. The state has averaged 926 cases a day over the past week, still below the average of 1,117 a week ago and 2,550 a day for the week ended Feb. 1. There have been 488,973 cases of the coronavirus and 9,660 deaths from it in the state since the pandemic began last March. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Ivey Declares Monday Supermarket Employee Day

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey proclaimed Monday Supermarket Employee Day in Alabama as a way to honor grocery store workers who continued to work throughout the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

by Caroline Beck, Alabama Daily News

COVID-19 Average in Alabama Declines for 13th Consecutive Day

The weekly average number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped Saturday for the 13th consecutive day, according to the state Department of Public Health's daily update. The agency reported 774 new cases of the disease in the latest 24-hour report. The state has averaged 875 cases a day over the past week. That is the lowest since an average of 863 on Oct. 2, and down from a high of 4,280 on the week that ended Jan. 10. There have been 485,986 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began last March. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Average Drops to Four-Month Low, Vaccinations on Rise

Alabama's daily average number of COVID-19 cases per week has dropped below the 1,000-mark for the first time since mid-October. Other indicators compiled by the state Department of Public Health, including the number of people in hospitals for the coronavirus and the rate of administration of vaccines, also showed improvement in Friday's daily update. There were 847 new cases of COVID-19 during the most recent 24-hour period. That left the daily average for the past week at 935, down from 971 the previous day. It marked the first time the average was lower than 1,000 a day since Oct. 14. The average reached a peak of 4,280 a day on Jan. 10 and has been falling steadily since then. There have been 485,212 cases since the pandemic began last March. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Black Residents Call for More COVID Vaccine Outreach and Access

Concerned about disparities in vaccine allocation, Birmingham community leaders want officials to increase outreach efforts in Black neighborhoods. Read more.

by Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

Alabama’s COVID-19 Numbers Continue Significant Improvement

The weather in Alabama may be bone-chilling cold, but the data on the COVID-19 outbreak are moving in the direction that should warm the hearts of health officials. In BirminghamWatch’s periodic analysis of data provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the number of new daily cases of the virus has dropped by more than three-fourths since a peak less than six weeks ago. The 7-day moving average is trending downward and about to pass the 1,000-per-day mark — a figure that hasn’t been seen since the middle of October. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Federal COVID-19 Rent and Utilities Assistance Set for Birmingham Residents

The City of Birmingham has received nearly $6.3 million in federal funding to assist residents who are unable to pay rent and utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding comes as part of a $25 billion program from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which began allocating money to states, territories, local governments and Indian tribes last month. Funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance program was approved by the City Council during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting. It was initially announced last month by Mayor Randall Woodfin, who said his administration had made the funding a “priority.” Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Bruno Event Team Takes Over JCDH Vaccine Call Center

A company that made its name by running golf tournaments, football games and car races is now taking over a call center that handles inquiries about COVID-19 vaccines. The Bruno Event Team has been operating the Jefferson County Department of Health’s call center since Friday. Read more.

by Robert Carter