Alabama reported 3,705 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the weekly average of new daily cases to 2,097, six times the average the state was experiencing at the start of the month.

Not since mid-September has the state seen daily case numbers above 3,000.

Deaths have not risen as steeply as new cases. Eighteen deaths were reported Tuesday, according to material on the Alabama Department of Public Health coronavirus dashboard, but the state for the past seven days has averaged fewer than 10 deaths a day.

Health officials are urging Alabamians to get vaccinated or boosted as virus spreads through Alabama and the country. About 41% of Alabama’s population has received two or more doses of the vaccine.

Omicron’s ability to spread has been compared to measles, one of the most infectious agents known to man. But studies so far are showing it often causes milder illness than the earlier strains of the disease, including delta. It can, however, become serious, especially in older patients and those with underlying heath conditions, and worries about long COVID remain. Because it sickens more people, health officials worry that an influx of patients could overwhelm the health care system.

On Tuesday, 612 patients were hospitalized because of COVID, the most since mid-October but nowhere near the more than 2,000 patients hospitalized during peaks in September.

Jefferson County’s numbers are somewhat worse than the statewide numbers, with a positivity rate of 25.6% Tuesday. The county’s seven-day average of new cases per day was 518.6%.

The Jefferson County Department of Health put out a series of tweets this afternoon warning residents about the rising numbers and urging them to get vaccinated or boosted.

??Jeff. Co. COVID-19 Update December 28, 2021??

??The numbers of COVID-19 cases are rising extremely fast and are on track to surpass previous records very soon. Percent positives are also way up.

??Omicron is rapidly increasing but Delta is still present. pic.twitter.com/HT0EeGCOPc

— JCDH (@jcdhtweets) December 28, 2021

??Omicron is more vaccine-resistant, but vaccines are still helpful. Booster doses are strongly recommended as soon as people are eligible.

??Omicron results in lower rates of hospitalizations than Delta, but the shear numbers of cases, and the numbers of health care workers…

— JCDH (@jcdhtweets) December 28, 2021

infected, will likely put our hospitals under significant strain again.

?? The CDC just shortened the isolation and quarantine periods to 5 days plus 5 days of mask-wearing, provided a person is without symptoms, or improving and without fever. Read: https://t.co/0P8uRB0tnp

— JCDH (@jcdhtweets) December 28, 2021

 

All of the counties in the greater Birmingham area are classified at high risk of transmission.

Find information on COVID in each county.