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coronavirus

With COVID-19 Cases Confirmed, Schools are Set to Close, Drive-Thru Testing Begins and Churches and Facilities Put Precautions in Place

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey closed public schools and declared a state of emergency Friday as Alabama confirmed its first cases of COVID-19. A Jefferson County resident became the second confirmed case of the new coronavirus in the state, and a Montgomery man was identified with the virus earlier Friday. The Department of Public Health is reporting four presumptive positive tests in addition to the two positive results. Those people are in Elmore, Limestone and Tuscaloosa counties, and one person tested was from out of town, according to the Department of Public Health website. In all, 74 people had been approved for tests when the website was updated Friday. The Jefferson County case involves an international traveler who returned home and was tested by a private physician. The Montgomery case is a Maxwell Air Force Base civilian employee. Across the nation, there were 1,629 cases of the virus and 41 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control's update as of Friday evening. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Sports Fans’ Dismay: Most Sporting Events Suspended, Locally and Nationally

If you were planning to take in a Birmingham Bulls hockey game, or a youth volleyball tournament or youth soccer play, you’re bound for disappointment. Sports have been anything but fun and games this week as COVID-19 has knocked much of the sports world off its axis. The diagnosis that one, and then a second, player in the National Basketball Association has contracted the virus began a domino effect that continues to ripple across the country and even to some youth sports in metro Birmingham. Locally, a weekend bicycle race, a volleyball tournament and youth soccer play are among the events that have been called off. Beyond today, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that public schools will close at the end of business Wednesday and remain closed for about two weeks with a proposed reopening on April 8. During that school closure, there will be no school sports events or practices. Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

State Puts $5M Toward Coronavirus Prep, Testing

Alabama Daily News The Alabama Legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday issued $5 million to help the Alabama Department of Public Health prepare for and test more Alabamians for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. As of Thursday evening, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said there have been no positive cases found in the limited number of Alabamians tested for COVID-19. But he believes the virus is in the state. “I don’t think there is any doubt we have disease circulating to some degree," Harris said. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Alabama Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Screening Visitors to Battle Risk of Coronavirus; National Groups Advise Strict Limits

Alabama nursing home and national assisted living officials are taking the coronavirus threat seriously enough to analyze visitors’ health even though Alabama did not have any reported cases of the virus late Tuesday. The president of the American Health Care Association, Mark Parkinson, on Tuesday advised nursing homes and assisted living centers to curtail social visits and take steps to keep some employees away. Parkinson recommended that family members not visit nursing homes. Parkinson called the mortality rate at five Seattle-area nursing homes “shocking.” While Alabama nursing home officials have not gone that far, they have increased security for visitors at most nursing homes. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Coronavirus Disrupts Alabama Colleges and Businesses

Troy University sophomore Nicholas Gil had been planning a trip to China since September to further his education during spring break. Those plans ended abruptly, however, when the airlines began canceling flights and colleges and universities across Alabama suspended travel due to the coronavirus spreading around the world. “I was majorly disappointed,” said Gil, whose canceled trip was part of the Confucius Institute at Troy. Confucius institutes are affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education to teach Americans about Chinese business, education, culture and public interests. The coronavirus is disrupting the lives of students, faculty members and business people across Alabama as entities race to protect their constituents and prevent the introduction and spread of the virus onto their sites. Read more.

by Scott Morris
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