Science

Alabama Extends COVID Vaccine Eligibility to Everyone 65 and Older

Alabama’s COVID-19 vaccination effort has been expanded as of Feb. 8 to make everyone 65 and older, as well as numerous additional workers in frontline essential services, eligible for the vaccine – even though the state doesn’t have enough vaccine to go around. The announcement came from State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, who said those eligible also include first responders, corrections officers, those who work in all forms of education from pre-school to college, as well as workers in childcare, food and agriculture, the U.S. Postal Service, manufacturing, grocers and public transit. Members of the clergy are also eligible. Read more.

by Robert Carter

State Adds 226 COVID-19 Deaths, 2,848 Cases

The state added 226 deaths from COVID-19 and 2,848 new cases of the disease in Friday's daily update by the Alabama Department of Public Health. The report marked the third time this week that the number of deaths exceeded 200, and it pushed the death toll for the pandemic to 7,566. The daily numbers posted by ADPH do not reflect deaths during a single day, but rather the number reported or confirmed on that date. It can take days or weeks for reports to reach the the department. There have been 455,582 cases of COVID-19 in Alabama since the pandemic began last March. The average number of cases per day over the past week stood at 2,785, well below the high of 4,280 a day during the week ended Jan. 10. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Pregnant Women Should Get The COVID-19 Vaccines, Says UAB Doctor

WBHM Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding and planning to get pregnant should get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the chair of UAB's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Read more.

by Miranda Fulmore, WBHM

Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 7,000, But Hospitalizations Are Decreasing

The number of deaths linked to the COVID-19 virus in Alabama has passed 7,000, with an increase of almost a thousand in the past seven days. In Birmingham Watch’s periodic analysis of the data provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the state death toll stands at 7,340 as of Thursday morning. That compares to 6,379 deaths reported on Jan. 21, an increase of 961 deaths, or 15%, in a week’s time. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Variant of COVID-19 Virus Detected in Three Alabamians

The novel coronavirus that has pushed the world into a pandemic has mutated into additional strains, and one of those strains that is more contagious has now reached Alabama. The Alabama Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that a strain called B.1.1.7, which originated in the United Kingdom and is described as “new and more highly transmissible,” has infected a resident of Jefferson County plus two in Montgomery County. One patient is an adult and the other two are under age 19. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Toll and Case Count Rise in Wednesday Report

Alabama's COVID-19 death toll rose by 276, and the number of new cases of the disease showed a small increase in Wednesday's update by the state Department of Public Health. The state has recorded 7,172 deaths from the coronavirus over the course of the pandemic. The Health Department had reported 234 additional deaths in its daily update on Tuesday. The figures for deaths reflect the number of cases reported during a 24-hour period, but they can reflect deaths dating back a few weeks because of the way the numbers are reported to the agency. Wednesday's report showed 3,177 new cases  of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, representing the third consecutive day of increase since a total of 1,728 on Jan. 24. The state has recorded an average of 2,776 new cases a day over the past week, the most since an average of 2,564 a week ago. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Where is the COVID-19 Vaccine and How Do You Get One?

People 75 years old or older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine now, but arranging to get one can be a frustrating and potentially complicated process. Read more.

by Virginia Martin

Another 234 COVID-19 Deaths in Alabama Reported Tuesday

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 234 deaths from COVID-19 in its daily update on Tuesday, raising the state's total to 6,896 since the pandemic began. The figure apparently catches up from deaths that did not show up in reports for the weekend, when there were two deaths listed on Monday and three on Sunday. Earlier last week, the daily updates showed as many as 171 deaths. ADPH notes that its daily figures for deaths are not for the current day because it can take two weeks or more for some to be reported and confirmed. There were 2,900 new cases of the coronavirus in Tuesday's report, bringing the total for the pandemic to 445,909. The state has averaged 2,767 new cases a day over the past week. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama Adds 171 Deaths, 3,355 New Cases of COVID-19 in Saturday Report

Alabama reported 171 deaths from COVID-19 and 3,355 new cases of the disease in Saturday's 24-hour update by the state Department of Public Health. Those figures brought the state's totals since the pandemic began in March to 6,657 deaths and 439,442 cases. The state averaged 2,680 new cases of the coronavirus per day over the past week. That is down from a daily average of 3,076 cases a week on Jan. 16 and 3,714 on Jan. 1. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Settlement Reached to Address ABC Coke Pollution

Birmingham-based clean-air advocate Gasp and the Southern Environmental Law Center have announced “significant improvements” to a consent decree to address ABC Coke’s illegal emissions of benzene and its effects on communities around northeast Birmingham and Tarrant. SELC intervened on behalf of Gasp in January 2020 to protest requirements set out by the consent decree agreed to by the Jefferson County Board of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the Drummond Company – which owns ABC Coke. SELC made the case that the requirements were inadequate to address ongoing violations and control of pollution from benzene, a known carcinogen. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.