coronavirus

Alabama Adds Almost 4,000 Cases of COVID-19, 73 Deaths

Alabama recorded one of its worst days yet for the pandemic on Wednesday as the state Department of Public Health reported more than 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 and 73 deaths from the disease. The agency said the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus also rose to its highest level to date. The agency listed 3,928 new cases, but it said 706 of those were from the period of Nov. 23 to Nov. 29. After subtracting the older cases, there were 3,222 new cases over the past 24 hours. That was just shy of the record 3,302 new cases reported for Nov. 30. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

UAB Expert: Alabama Could See ‘Tidal Wave’ of Coronavirus Cases This Month

WBHM Alabama will likely receive its first shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine in January, according to health care experts. It was previously predicted that Alabama would receive the vaccine in December. Read more.

by Miranda Fulmore, WBHM

Jeffco Commission to Consider Mortgage Assistance

The Jefferson County Commission is expected Thursday to amend its disbursement of Cares Act funds to include mortgage assistance for residents adversely affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic. At their last meeting, commissioners approved federal funds for use in helping residents with COVID-related expenses related to rent and utilities. “We’d like to amend that moving forward to include mortgage assistance also,” Commission President Jimmie Stephens said Tuesday. “This truly expands the scope of help to include all of our citizens. It is much needed and necessary. I think this is something that will extend the reach of our COVID funds and allow us to help many, many more people.” Read more.

by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Alabama Nears Deadline To Spend Coronavirus Relief Money

The clock is ticking for Alabama to spend its remaining COVID-19 relief funds. In May, the state received nearly $2 billion from Congress.  State finance officials are expected to give an update on the remaining funds this week. Meanwhile, dozens of organizations are urging Gov. Kay Ivey to use the money to help with immediate needs across the state. But getting aid to the organizations that need them is not an easy task.  Alabama has more than $800 million of coronavirus relief funds left and it must be spent by the end of December. Any remaining money will go back to the federal government.  Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, said the people who need this aid the most aren’t receiving it. Hyden said there’s a lot of red tape holding up the state’s relief funds.  Read more.

by Janae Pierre, WBHM

Birmingham Bringing Back Up to 132 of Its Furloughed Employees

The Birmingham City Council has approved a plan to bring up to 132 furloughed city employees — mostly from the Birmingham Public Library and the city parks department — back to work. The workers were furloughed in September due to budget cuts necessitated by COVID-19’s impact on city revenue. The plan, described as a compromise between mayor and council, will be funded by $4.85 million borrowed from the city’s general fund reserve. That’s far less than the $7 million requested in Woodfin’s initial plan, which would also have restored two paid holidays for city employees and reversed some salary reductions to appointed staff. Read more.

by Sam Prickett

Alabama’s COVID-19 Case Count Tops One-Quarter Million

Alabama's COVID-19 totals continued to grow Tuesday, with the case count surpassing a quarter million, as the state Department of Public Health added 3,376 cases and 60 deaths. The Health Department said the figures were inflated by the addition of cases that were unreported over the holiday weekend. Still, the daily averages for new cases, including for the Thanksgiving period, continued a steady rise. The state has counted 252,900 cases of the disease and 3,638 deaths since the pandemic began in March. The average case count for the past week stood at 2,291 a day, compared to 1,241 one month ago. The daily average for the past 14 days stood at 2,289, up from 1,190 on Nov. 1. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch

Birmingham City Schools to Close for In-Person Classes as COVID-19 Numbers Climb

The continuing increase in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths has prompted the Birmingham City School System to rethink its recent move to in-school classes and go back to remote learning. The system will return to remote instruction Monday, Dec. 7. Read more.

by Robert Carter

COVID Hospitalizations Hit Record High as Case Numbers Rise

The number of COVID-19 patients in Alabama hospitals has shot to a record level with the resurgence of the disease across the state, prompting a UAB doctor to warn people against playing “Russian roulette” with their response to the pandemic. There were 1,717 patients in 104 hospitals across the state Monday, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported. That eclipsed the previous high of 1,613 patients on Aug. 6. Read more.

by Glenn Stephens

COVID-19 Sets Records on the Eve of Thanksgiving

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama have reached critical levels again, straining health care facilities and throwing Thanksgiving holiday plans into disarray. In the weekly BirminghamWatch analysis of data supplied by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the moving averages of both new cases and of COVID-related deaths have hit new all-time highs in the past two days, and the number of hospital beds filled with coronavirus patients is quickly approaching the levels seen during the peak this summer. Read more.

by Robert Carter

UAB-Tested Intranasal Vaccine Could Go to Human Trials

The intranasal coronavirus vaccination that was lab tested at the University of Alabama at Birmingham could go to human trials next month. Read more.

by BirminghamWatch