coronavirus

Local Group Effort Seeks to Overcome Barriers of Legal Status, Language to Offer COVID-19 Testing

In what one health researcher called an “amazing group effort” during the coronavirus crisis, several organizations have come together to devise a unified strategy to reach Latino and other non-English-speaking residents of Jefferson County with information and support. The need was evident – in a pandemic, all sectors of society are at risk of being infected and of infecting others. But the Latino community carries additional burdens. They have high risks of pre-existing conditions, including the nation’s highest incidence of diabetes, placing them at greater risk of dying from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Almost 85% of Latinos have Zoom-proof jobs and cannot work from home – and they work on the front lines of the viral threat in jobs predominately classified as “essential” in hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants, construction and public works. To compound things, they are least likely of all major demographic groups to have health insurance. Read more.

Restaurants, Gyms and Salons Reopening Slowly Under New COVID-19 Emergency Order

At Bogue’s Restaurant, a longtime fixture on the city’s Southside, walk-in dining got off to a less-than-roaring start on Monday, the first day the eatery could reopen under the state’s amended Safer at Home order. By early afternoon, about 15 customers had gone in for breakfast or lunch, a number well below the curbside orders the eatery had been getting each day that it had been closed to indoor dining under the state’s earlier Stay at Home order. “We’ve been super slow today,” said restaurant manager Angela Chaffins. “I think it will pick up once everybody sees they can come in and everything’s safe.” Gov. Kay Ivey in March closed nonessential businesses in an effort to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has sickened more than 10,000 Alabamians. Now the state is being reopened in phases. Ivey announced Friday that restaurant dining rooms, salons and barber shops, and athletic facilities could join the list of businesses that may reopen as of Monday. She also removed restrictions to allow groups of more than 10 people to gather. But the order also places restrictions on those businesses and gatherings. Her order still requires people to maintain social distances of six feet or more between themselves and others and it requires thorough hygiene measures be taken. In Birmingham, the city’s ordinance requiring people to wear masks or other face coverings also is in force through Friday. Read more.

Alabama is Nearing the 10,000 Mark for COVID-19 Cases

COVID-19 cases in Alabama rose to 9,889 Sunday night and deaths to 393. That’s an increase of 221 cases and three deaths from the day before as the state prepares to loosen social distancing requirements Monday. Read more.

Welcome Back! Restaurants, Salons, Gyms May Reopen Monday – With Conditions

Restaurant dining rooms, salons and barber shops, and athletic facilities join the list of businesses that may reopen today, and groups of more than 10 people are allowed to gather. But things are not going to look, or operate, they way they used to – at least not yet. The state’s amended Safer-at-Home order is in effect as of today and, while it allows more businesses to reopen, it requires people to maintain social distances of six feet or more between themselves and others. In Birmingham, the city’s ordinance requiring people to wear masks or other face coverings also is in force through Friday. Health and government officials issued cautions Sunday asking people to remain vigilant to avoid contracting the virus that has killed 393 and sickened 9,889 Alabamians to date. “When it comes to the reopening of Alabama, we must choose data over dates,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in an open letter to the city. “Here’s the reality: the cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in our state. In fact, they increased by 20% in Alabama last week.” Read more.

Alabama Reports 9,668 COVID-19 Cases

COVID-19 cases in Alabama rose to 9,668 Saturday night, an increase of 283 cases from the day before. The Alabama Department of Public Health also reported that deaths from the disease have risen to 390, up seven from Friday night. Read more.

Lawmakers Send Ivey $7.2B Education Budget, Plan to Return to Deal With Possible Veto

MONTGOMERY — In a rare Saturday meeting, Alabama lawmakers approved a $7.2 billion education budget, finishing the heavy lifting in a legislative session derailed by the coronavirus outbreak. They left the capital city but expect to be back in the State House for special sessions on multiple matters later this year. State House leaders also plan to call back lawmakers May 18 should they need to react to possible amendments by Gov. Kay Ivey or a veto of the state General Fund. Ivey and lawmakers have wrangled in recent weeks about who gets to allocate nearly $1.8 billion in coronavirus relief funding from the federal government. Ivey last week agreed to cede responsibility and told lawmakers she wanted details on how every penny would be spent before she'd call them back for a special session to allocate it. The Legislature approved a General Fund budget that gives $200 million of the funds to state agencies to spend immediately, something she told them not to do. Read more.

COVID-19 Cases in Alabama Rise to 9,385

As Alabama began preparing Friday to relax restrictions put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19, 339 new cases were reported to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Confirmed cases in the state since mid-March rose to 9,385. Fourteen more people also were reported as having died, bringing the state’s death toll to 383. Of Alabama’s 4.9 million residents, 122,396 have been tested for the coronavirus. Read more.

Managing Spread of COVID-19 is a Balancing Act Between Health and the Economy

Acknowledging the balancing act between protecting the health of citizens and the health of the economy, Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson on Friday expressed concern about the state’s relaxing of restrictions put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19. Wilson did not issue a new emergency order for the county, but he issued a strong recommendation that people in Jefferson County refrain from having public gatheri­­ngs of greater than 10 people, including worship services, for at least another two weeks after this weekend. He said he wants to see the effect of the governor’s new order. The new Proceeding With Caution order, which Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday morning, allows restaurants, bars, athletic facilities and close-contact service providers such as nail salons and barber shops to reopen starting Monday. It also lifts the 10-person cap on non-work gatherings, but it stresses that people must maintain six feet between themselves and others from different households while in public. The new order expires May 22. “We're going to be opening a lot of things,” he said. “I'm very concerned that we could start to see an increase in disease.” He wasn’t the only voice calling for caution as the state starts to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Other health care officials and government leaders expressed concern, most of them saying they also understand the need to get people back to work. Read more.

Gov. Kay Ivey Reopens Restaurants, Gyms and Salons, Says More Openings Likely Next Week

Lawmakers Prep for Possible Ivey Veto of Budget

Legislative leadership expects to pass the state’s 2021 education budget Saturday, but they’re also bracing for Gov. Kay Ivey to veto the General Fund Budget they sent her Thursday. “Gov. Ivey has indicated she will veto the budget we sent to her (Thursday) as she plans to cede full authority over COVID-19 funds to the Alabama Legislature,” Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, said in a written statement Friday. State leaders are expecting nearly $1.8 billion in federal funds to be used on coronavirus-related expenses. Saturday could be the final day of the session, although lawmakers will have the option to come back for another day if the governor vetoes the budget. Read more.

Gov. Kay Ivey Reopens Restaurants, Gyms and Salons, Says More Openings Likely Next Week

UPDATED — Restaurants, bars, athletic facilities and close-contact service providers such as nail salons and barber shops will be reopening in Alabama Monday. Gov. Kay Ivey today amended her Safer-at-Home order and said she hopes to announce more re-openings by the middle of next week. The new order lifts the 10-person cap on non-work gatherings but states that people must maintain six feet between themselves and others from different households. This provision effectively allows churches to reopen, provided they can provide for social distancing. The same holds true for gatherings on Alabama’s beaches. The new order expires May 22. “400,000+ unemployment claims have been filed w/ (the state labor department). These are innocent people whose lives have been turned upside down & it’s not their fault. We hear your voices, your frustrations, your fears. Today’s order will hopefully begin providing some hope again,” Ivey said on Twitter this morning. Much of public life has been shut down in Alabama since April 3. Last week Ivey loosened restrictions to allow stores, businesses and beaches to open. The state’s cases of COVID-19 still are trending upward, with 355 new cases and 26 deaths Thursday alone. In reaction, to Ivey’s announcement, Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson issued a strong recommendation that people refrain from having gatherings of more than 10 people for at least two weeks after this weekend to see what effect opening up the state more is going to have. He said COVID-19 is still in the community. “I’m very concerned that we could start to see an increase in disease,” he said. Read more.