coronavirus

Averages of New COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Fall to Lowest Levels Since June

Alabama’s COVID-19 numbers continue to improve, dropping to levels not seen since last summer. In Birmingham Watch’s periodic analysis of COVID data, the 7-day average of new cases reported by the Alabama Department of Public Health is down to 490.86 per day. That’s the lowest average seen since June 10 of last year, and a fall of better than 88% since the peak level on Jan. 10. The longer-term 14-day average is slightly higher at 521.86 new cases per day. Similarly, the death toll is also seeing a decline, with both the 7-day and 14-day moving averages dropping below 20 for the first time since last November. The 7-day mark stands at 17.71, its lowest since early December and down 88% from the record high set on Jan. 26. The 14-day average of 18.93 is off by about the same percentage from the peak in early February. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Alabama Deploys Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Units to Rural Areas

Eligible Alabamians in these 24 rural counties can receive a free COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday. Read more.

by Miranda Fulmore, WBHM

Vaccine Eligibility Expands Today; National Guard Clinics Start Tuesday

Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines expands this week in Alabama to include people 55 and over, people 16 and older with high-risk medical conditions, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and more critical workers. The qualifying medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, smoking, obesity, sickle cell disease and heart conditions. “We have been concerned that many people at high risk and others engaged in close contact work have not been eligible to receive the vaccine yet, but with the additional vaccine supply we are better able to meet the needs of Alabama residents,” Gov. Kay Ivey said in a written statement. “Starting March 22, individuals can be assured of receiving the shots they have been patiently waiting to get.” Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Vaccine Now Available to 55+ Crowd, People With Medical Conditions and More Critical Workers

Beginning today, coronavirus vaccine eligibility has been extended to include people ages 55 and older, people 16 and older who have high-risk medical conditions, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and additional critical workers. That’s about 2 million more people becoming eligible for the vaccine, while the state receives between 110,000 and 120,000 first doses

by BirminghamWatch

Health Officials Hope End of Mask Mandate Won’t Lead to Spread of Influenza

The number of influenza cases has been extremely low this year, medical and public health officials say, in part thanks to protective measures that are being taken against Covid. And officials say they hope there will not be an increase in the number of flu cases when one of those measures -- the state’s mask mandate -- is lifted on April 9. "The flu season typically peaks in January and February, when the number of cases is through the roof," said UAB Family Medicine Dr. Stephen Russell. He said he can count on one hand the number of adult patients he has seen with flu this season. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Alabama Plans To Open Vaccine Eligibility By May 1, But Hesitancy Remains A Problem

Health officials in Alabama expect to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1, according to Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris. But he said that may be a challenge because many are reluctant to be vaccinated. In a Friday press conference, Harris said about one-third of adults in Alabama are hesitant to get the vaccine. “At this point, we’ve had enough demand out there that it’s hard to know if a county is not getting vaccinated … because they can’t find [the] vaccine, or is it because they don’t want to take the vaccine? I think we’re going to soon have enough product available that we’ll be able to make some determinations about that,” Harris said. The state plans to educate hesitant populations about the vaccine, but Harris said ultimately, friends and family will have the ability to “normalize” the vaccine. Read more.

by Miranda Fulmore, WBHM

More than 2 Million Doses of Vaccine Sent to Alabama, Half a Million People Fully Vaccinated

More than 2 million doses of vaccine for the coronavirus have been delivered to the state, and more than half a million Alabamians have completed their shots, the state Department of Public Health reported Friday. The agency said 2,021,465 doses have been shipped to the state, and 1,364,631 have been administered. A total of 523,264 people have finished their shots of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson product. Friday's daily update by ADPH listed 531 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24  hours, bringing the state's total to 510,579 and the daily average for the past week to 523. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Biden Administration Pushes to Vaccinate All American Against COVID-19

The three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S. are safe and effective is the message from President Biden to encourage more people to take the vaccine. “It’s just essential that everyone gets connected with vaccination,” said Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, senior advisor for the president’s COVID-19 response team. “That’s how we’re going to get to our new normal. That’s how we’re going to be able to reopen schools … reunite with our families, reopen our businesses, get our economy going again, and to be able to gather together.” Clinics and hospitals in Alabama have administered the two-shot vaccines from drug companies Pfizer and Moderna since December. The distribution of a one-shot vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson began this month. But Alabama has been consistently near the bottom among states for vaccines administered per capita. Read more.

by Andrew Yeager, WBHM

COVID-19 Relief for Alabama Education Totals More Than $4B

Alabama K-12 schools are getting another $2 billion of federal relief funding from the President Joe Biden-pushed American Rescue Plan Act, state officials said Wednesday. That's on top of $1.1 billion schools received from the first two rounds of federal relief. In all, federal relief money to K-12 and higher education in Alabama will total about $4.5 billion in the three approved by Congress in the last year. About $3.2 billion of that is for K-12 alone, with much of it going directly to local school districts, according to Kirk Fulford, deputy director of the Legislative Services Agency’s Fiscal Division. “The investment of these funds is going to be critical,” Rep. Bill Poole, R-Tuscaloosa, said during a presentation Wednesday to the House education budget committee. Read more.

by Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News

Hospitalization Rate for COVID-19 Falls to Lowest Level in 11 Months

The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in Alabama hospitals has fallen to the lowest point in 11 months, according to Thursday's update by the state Department of Public Health. There were 364 people being treated for the coronavirus as inpatients at 106 hospitals across the state on Wednesday. That is the lowest number since a count of 360 last April 19. The state reached a peak of 3,084 on Jan. 11. ADPH reported 572 new cases of COVID-19 over the most recent 24-hour period. That left an average of 511 new cases a day over the past week, the lowest since an average of 448 for the week ended last June 10. The highest average was 4,280 a day on Jan. 11. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch