Science

Number of COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Falls for Third Consecutive Day

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped for the fourth consecutive day Sunday, and only one additional death was reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health. There were 472 new confirmed cases of the disease listed in the daily report, which covered the 24-hour period ended at 10 a.m. Sunday. That brought the number of cases to 29,598 since the pandemic began in mid-March, plus 423 cases listed as probably from the virus but still under inspection. There was one death -- from Escambia County -- in the period. The state now has 829 deaths attributed to COVID-19, plus 10 shown as probably from the disease. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

COVID-19 Count Tops 29,000 in Alabama, with 828 Deaths

There were 543 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths in Alabama during a 24-hour period, the state Department of Public Health reported Saturday in its daily assessment of the effects of the pandemic. Those figures, covering the period of 10 a.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Saturday, raised the number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 29,126 since the pandemic began in mid-March. Another 419 people are believed to have the disease but their cases are still being investigated. There have been 828 deaths, plus another 10 listed as probably resulting from the coronavirus. The Health Department's COVID dashboard said there have been 8,895 confirmed new cases over the past 14 days, for an average of 635 per day. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Low ICU Capacity Could Affect Non-Coronavirus Patients the Most

WBHM Alabama’s ICU capacity has fallen to 19% as coronavirus cases continued to climb steadily across the state. That amounts to about 300 ICU beds of 1,600 available statewide. Alabama confirmed 787 new cases Friday, bringing the total to 28,583. While the number of hospitalizations has fluctuated slightly, overall it has trended upward since the pandemic began. That’s concerning to Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association. For more on the impact on hospitals, WBHM spoke with Williamson. Read more.

by Gigi Douban, WBHM

Another Steady Increase in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Reported Friday

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama continued its steady climb Friday, with 787 confirmed cases reported by the state Department of Public Health That brought the number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began in March to 28,583, plus another 410 cases listed as probable but not yet confirmed to have been from the disease. The agency’s report, which is updated at 10 a.m. each day, also showed 11 deaths during the period, raising the state total to 812, plus nine listed as probably from COVID-19. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Kansas: If You’ve Been in Alabama, You’re Not Welcome Without a 14-Day Quarantine

Kansas health officials Thursday banned people who have been in Alabama from entering that state without quarantining for 14 days, because of the increasing COVID-19 cases being reported in Alabama. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama Reverses Decline with a Big Jump in COVID-19 Cases

After two days of decline, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Alabama shot up by 882 Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported. The agency’s daily report, showing changes from 10 a.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday, also showed a big increase in deaths, with the number rising by 17 for a total of 801 since the pandemic began in March. The new report marked a return to an acceleration in the number of cases that began last Thursday, June 11. The figures trended upward for four days, reaching 1,014 new cases on Sunday, before declining daily to as low as 390 on Wednesday. The surge was led by Montgomery County, long the COVID-19 hotspot in Alabama. The central Alabama county reported 271 new cases, bringing its total to 3,059, the most in the state. The county reported two deaths, raising its overall figure to 63. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Alabama’s COVID-19 Case Averages Reach New Highs

The seven-day and 14-day moving averages of new COVID-19 cases per day in Alabama have reached their highest levels since the beginning of the outbreak, with sharp increases since the beginning of June. The moving averages in the weekly BirminghamWatch analysis have steadily climbed. The seven-day moving average set a record high Tuesday, with 779.0 cases per day, more than doubling between June 9 and 16 and almost tripling since June 6. The current 14-day average of 597.14 new daily cases is the current record, nearly 50% higher than the level seven days ago. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Dr. Saag: Alabamians Get an F for Following Public Health Advice

Dr. Michael Saag has become frustrated with the public. The infectious disease doctor and COVID-19 survivor said recently that he knows people have become impatient with the continuing pandemic and are tired of changing their lifestyles to accommodate it. But the reaction from the public has been “not very mature,” he said during the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham’s Community Call last week. In fact, he said he’d give Alabamians an F in their ability to carry out public health advice that would have tamped down the virus – maintaining social distance, wearing face masks and staying home as much as is practical, among them. As a result, the state’s coronavirus cases have once again been rising, to the point that Alabama has shown more new cases than the entire country of Germany. That danger isn’t going away anytime soon. Saag said the novel coronavirus will be with us for a least another year – until doctors develop an effective vaccine or early treatment. Watch Saag’s presentation.

by BirminghamWatch

Number of New COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Drops for Third Consecutive Day

For the third day in a row, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped on Wednesday, as did the number of deaths from the disease. The state recorded 390 confirmed new cases from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the total since the pandemic began in mid-March to 26,914. There were five deaths during that period to raise the total to 784, the Alabama Department of Public Health’s daily report showed. The report listed 398 cases and six deaths that officials say are probably from COVID-19 but have yet to be confirmed. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

City of Birmingham Facing ‘Economic Crisis’ Over Falling Revenue From Pandemic

Birmingham can expect an $18.3 million budgetary shortfall for the 2020 fiscal year because of the pandemic, Finance Director Lester Smith told the City Council Tuesday. And he warned that the economic impact on the city’s FY 2021 budget could be nearly four times that. Mayor Randall Woodfin, calling the situation an “economic crisis,” said that the dip in revenue means “painful” budget cuts are likely on the way. The COVID-19 pandemic and the city’s subsequent “shelter-in-place” order led to a significant drop in business tax revenue for the city, Smith said. That revenue, which includes sales, use and occupational taxes, typically accounts for 81.3% of the city’s overall budget.  Read more.

by Sam Prickett