coronavirus

Alabama’s Daily COVID Case Count Drops by 70% During Past Month

The average number of new COVID-19 cases per day has fallen by about 70% over the past month as the vaccination rate has grown, according to Friday's update by the state Department of Public Health. There were 1,048 new cases on Friday, raising the total to 806,560 since the pandemic began in March 2020. The state has averaged 1,177 new cases a day during the past week -- about 70% lower than the weekly average of 3,962 cases on Sept. 8. Figures compiled by The New York Times show that, through Thursday, 53% of adults in Alabama had received at least one dose of one of the COVID vaccines, and 43% were full vaccinated. Less than one-third of Alabamians were fully vaccinated during the summer. Alabama has moved up from last among the states in vaccination rates to fourth from the bottom. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Federal Covid Relief Funds Enabled Churches and Other Religious Organizations to Pay Employees

Ava Wise was thinking first of others as she considered what would have happened if the federal Paycheck Protection Program had not provided her employer with money to pay her during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. “We may not have been open to serve people,” said Wise, director of Project Hopewell, a nonprofit formed under Hopewell Baptist Church in Birmingham’s Hillman Station Neighborhood. Effects of the COVID-19 relief program hit close to home for Wise and others who benefited from federal relief money that was paid to businesses, state and local governments, and churches and other organizations. Without the payroll assistance, she said, “We can't pay our bills. We can’t buy food. It cuts off our livelihood.” Although it is unusual for churches, synagogues, mosques and groups with religious affiliations to receive taxpayer money, many were awarded federal stimulus funds during the pandemic. While churches may be tax-exempt, their employees pay taxes to city, state and federal governments. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s PPP program was designed to cover the payrolls of recipients. A review by BirminghamWatch of federal records listed about 321 applicants from Jefferson County that identified themselves as religious organizations received loans totaling $39.7 million during a 14-month period under the PPP program. Read more.

by Nancy Wilstach and Solomon Crenshaw Jr.

Numbers Continue to Fall in Thursday COVID Update

The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,262 new cases of COVID-19 and added 63 deaths from the disease on Thursday as the daily averages continued to decline. The state has recorded 805,511 cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March 2020. There has been an average of 1,291 cases a day over the past week, a significant drop from the average of 5,538 cases daily at the peak of the delta variant surge on Sept. 1 and 2,080 a week ago. There have been 14,675 deaths from COVID in the state through the course of the pandemic. The total has risen by an average of 54 a day during the past seven days, compared to a peak of 134 daily on Sept. 23. It takes about two weeks for a death to be report and confirmed as being from the coronavirus. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Kick COVID While It’s Down, Health Experts Urge

Alabamians have a chance right now to substantially reduce COVID cases in the state, UAB officials said in a press conference Wednesday. The state is seeing a downtick in the number of new COVID cases; in fact, the Alabama Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported the number of new cases had dropped for the 17th consecutive day. Delta is the primary variant of the COVID virus that is circulating in the state and in the U.S., said Russell Griffin, Ph.D and associate professor at the UAB School of Public Health. Continuing vaccinations could prevent another variant from forming. UAB epidemiologist Dr. Rachael Lee added that higher vaccination rates, the advent of booster shots and natural immunity built up by those who have had COVID all are weapons in the war against the virus. Making headway now depends on the community not becoming complacent but continuing to wear masks, get vaccinated and stay home when they are sick, she said. Read more.

by Virginia MacDonald

Alabama’s COVID-19 Case Average Declines for 17th Consecutive Day

The average number of new cases of COVID-19 in Alabama dropped Wednesday for the 17th consecutive day, according to the daily update by the state Department of Public Health. There were 1,272 new cases, raising the state's COVID total to 804,249. The state has averaged 1,354 new cases a day over the past week, which is down by about 69% since an average of 4,309 on Sept. 6. ADPH listed 70 new deaths, bringing the total for the pandemic to 14,612 and the daily average to 59 during the last seven days. It takes about two weeks for deaths to be reported, confirmed as being from the coronavirus and added to the count. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Feeling angry? You’re not alone. A UAB psychologist offers 5 ways to deal with pandemic anger.

WBHM Feelings of anger and frustration are bubbling up for many people in Alabama, 18 months into the coronavirus pandemic. A psychologist from the University of Alabama at Birmingham explains how to manage it. Read more.

by Eva Tesfaye, WBHM

ADPH Reports Another Drop in COVID-19 Activity

COVID-19 numbers in Alabama continue to fall, with the average numbers of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations all down in Tuesday's update by the state Department of Public Health. There were 1,549 new cases in the daily update, for a total of 802,977 throughout the pandemic. The state aveaged 1,478 new cases a day over the past week, down from 2,443 a week earlier and the lowest since a 7-day average of 1,379 on July 24. After adding one death a day on Sunday and Monday, ADPH reported 71 on Tuesday to raise the total for the pandemic to 1,542. The 7-day average stood at 55, down from 99 on Tuesday of last week. ADPH typically processes few if any death reports on weekends, and it normally takes about two weeks for a death to be reported to the agency, confirmed and added to the total. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

As Vaccination Rate Rises, COVID-19 Average Falls in Alabama

The improving numbers of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations in Alabama over the past weeks is an apparent reflection of the growing rate of vaccinations in the state. Alabama ranked last among the states in percentage of fully vaccinated individuals at times during the summer, with about one-third of the population having gotten the full course of COVID shots. That figure has risen to 45.5%, ranking the state eighth from the bottom, according listings by The New York Times. Over the past week, The Times reported, Alabama ranked 20th nationally in the average daily number of new cases per 100,000 population. The state was averaging 1,977 new cases daily for the week that ended on Friday. The Alabama Department of Public on Saturday reported 1,480 new cases of the coronavirus, raising the overall total to 799,800 over the course of the pandemic. The state was averaging 4,705 cases a day one month ago. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

Alabama’s COVID Numbers Take Another Dip on Friday

Alabama's COVID-19 numbers took another dip on Friday. The state Department of Public Health reported a continued improvement in the average number of new cases and deaths, and in the number of COVID patients in Alabama hospitals. Friday's daily update listed 1,845 new cases of the coronavirus and dropped the daily average for the last week to 1,977, the lowest since July 28. There ave been 798,320 cases in the state since the pandemic began in March 2020. The update added 94 deaths, bringing the total for the pandemic to 14,393. The state has added an average of 67 deaths a day over the past week. half the average for Sept. 23. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch

New COVID Cases in Alabama Reach Lowest Daily Average in Two Months

The daily average number of new COVID-19 cases in Alabama dropped Thursday to the lowest level since late July. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported 1,702 new cases in its daily update, bringing the total for the pandemic to 796,475. There's been an average of 2,080 new cases a day for the past week, a figure not seen since the delta variant of the coronavirus began its rapid spread through Alabama in late July and early August. ADPH reported 99 deaths from COVID, for a total of 14,299 and a seven-day average of 72. The daily average reached a high of 134 one week ago. It normally takes about two weeks for deaths to be reported to ADPH and confirmed as being from COVID. Read more.

by Birmingham Watch