Science

Concerns Raised About COVID at Horizon Church Polling Place After Worker Tests Positive

Voters who cast their ballots last week at Horizon Church had to endure some very long lines. Now they’ll have to endure concern about possible exposure to COVID-19. A press release from the office of Jefferson County county manager Tony Petelos says there is a chance persons who voted at Precinct 5120, otherwise known as Horizon Church in Vestavia Hills, on Election Day may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus. Coincidentally, that is the polling place of Jefferson County Presiding Probate Judge James P. Naftel II, who fielded an Election Day call from his wife about her waiting in the line or returning later. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Rapid Rise of Alabama, National COVID-19 Numbers Worries UAB Doctor

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo has been taking a close look at the recent data in the ongoing COVID-19 battle, and they have her worried. “(They are) astonishing numbers that I hope people do not become numb to,” Marrazzo, the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases for UAB Medicine, said as she opened an online press conference Wednesday morning. The numbers have been increasing steadily over the past few weeks, with new cases across the nation surpassing 140,000 Tuesday and deaths coming in at roughly 1,500. Alabama has followed suit, with 2,070 new cases and 81 new deaths reported Wednesday. However, as many as half of the deaths were reported at an earlier time and were added to the count after being investigated, an Alabama Department of Public Health official said in an email. Additionally, the number of patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 has increased significantly, both in the state and nationwide. Read more.

by Robert Carter

ADPH in Ongoing Battle to Make Sure COVID-19 Test Reports Are Clear, Timely

Elected officials, business leaders, school systems and news media — among others — keep a close eye on the numbers of Alabama COVID-19 cases every day, with a wary watch on trends the data might indicate. When those numbers suddenly spike on a single day, as they sometimes have in the past couple of weeks, many people may scratch their heads in confusion or fear. The explanation in almost all cases is one of bureaucracy. In not-so-technical terms, it’s a “data dump.” The great majority of results of tests given by hospitals and county health departments, and those processed in larger quantities by laboratories, go through the system swiftly and almost untouched by human hands. But with the onset of the pandemic, there are many medical establishments that have conducted public COVID-19 testing but weren’t aware that they were required to report all test results to the state. When ADPH discovers these entities, it requires them to report all their testing, sometimes resulting in the addition of hundreds of cases from past weeks. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Alabama’s COVID-19 Case Total Climbs Past 200,000

Alabama eclipsed another milestone Friday when the number of COVID-19 cases climbed above the 200,000 mark. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,556 new cases of the disease in its daily update, pushing the total number of cases since the pandemic began in March to 200,714. There have been 170,446 confirmed cases and 30,268 listed as probable. The agency added 23 deaths statewide, raising the overall total to 3,049: 2,839 confirmed and 210 probable. The average number of new cases per day has risen steadily over the past month. The state averaged 1,325 new cases a day for the week that ended Thursday, compared to 1,200 a day for the seven days through Oct. 31. One month ago, the average was 989 a day. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Ivey Extends Mask Mandate Through Dec. 11

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Thursday that she is extending the state’s public health order through Dec. 11. This means residents will still be required to wear face masks in public, and when in close contact to others, to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Read more.

by Andrew Yeager, WBHM

As More Students Return to School, Officials Brace for ‘Rolling Blackouts’

Following the release of a new dashboard, state education officials are optimistic about the number of coronavirus cases in Alabama schools. But challenges remain. Read more.

by Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

Rising Numbers of New COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations and Positivity Rates in Alabama Over Past Week

The number of Alabama patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 has continued to rise in the past seven days, as has the count of people testing positive each day. In BirminghamWatch’s weekly analysis of data reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health, hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients surpassed 1,000 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and the 7-day moving average is just under the thousand mark. Tuesday’s report of 1,047 hospitalizations was a jump of 80 over the day before and reached a level not seen since Aug. 27. However, it’s still lower by more than 35% than the high of 1,613 hospitalized patients set Aug. 6. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Alabama’s COVID-19 Death Count Tops 3,000 Mark

Alabama's death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic climbed above the 3,000 mark in Wednesday's update by the state Department of Public Health. The agency reported 19 deaths in its daily report, pushing the total since the pandemic began in mid-March to 3,006. That includes 2,799 confirmed cases and 207 listed as probable. The total number of cases grew by 1,848 during the latest 24-hour period, reaching a total of 197,777. There have been 168,155 confirmed cases and 29,662 shown as probable. A spokesman for the Health Department said the daily figure was for the latest 24-hour period and did not include reports from previous days. It was the largest increase in single-day cases in more than a month. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Economy Shows Signs of Revival, New Opportunities in the Midst of COVID-19

There is sadness and economic disappointment in Alabama associated with the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, but some indicators are pointing to signs of revival, at least on the economic front. Total nonfarm payroll in metro Birmingham-Hoover indicates about 27,000 fewer workers employed in 2020 than had jobs in 2019, with 520,800 workers having jobs this year, according to government statistics. But overall, unemployment numbers have dropped for Alabama in recent months. According to Alabama Department of Labor statistics, the latest official unemployment rate for Alabama is 5.6%. That unemployment data has improved since August, when it was reported as 7.9%. As a comparison, U.S. unemployment data shows a current rate of 8.4%, down from 10.2% last month. Read more.

by D. Mark Singletary

COVID-19 Cases Continue Steady Growth, with 1,699 New Cases in Saturday Report

The number of COVID-19 cases in Alabama continued a steady climb on Saturday as the state Department of Public Health reported 1,699 new cases and 35 deaths from the disease. It was the greatest number of new cases reported in a single day in more than a month, pushing Alabama's total to 192,285 cases since the pandemic began in March. The department added 1,789 cases to the overall count in Saturday's report but said 90 of those came from a lab in Covington County for the period of Aug. 6 to Oct. 27. There have been 164,295 confirmed cases and 27,990 listed as probable. Alabama's death count for the pandemic reached 2,967, including 2,761 confirmed and 206 probable. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch