Tag: COVID-19
Pandemic Funding Streams Are Down to Their Last Trickle, JeffCo Warns
The end is near. Well, the end of Jefferson County’s ARPA funds, at least. Read more.
Health Officials Watching Hospitals During the Season of Flu, COVID and RSV
The normal winter flu season is in full swing in Alabama, but this year COVID and RSV are joining the mix. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks the state among seven others with the highest rates for respiratory disease.
Alabama health officials say there has been a 3.2% increase in hospital admissions statewide for the three viral diseases, but there is no shortage of treatment facilities or hospital beds across the state.
But they warn that, with the workplace and schools opened after the holidays, the numbers could climb. Read more.
Alabama Health Officer Reflects on Lessons Learned From COVID-19
Three years ago, Alabamians were beginning to see the impacts of a new respiratory virus sweeping the nation.
“Everybody remembers watching in horror at what was transpiring in Washington State in this skilled nursing facility,” recalled Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health. “We just didn’t know how much we didn’t know.”
Harris made the comments during a monthly meeting of the Alabama Board of Health on Thursday. He discussed lessons learned from the pandemic and future challenges amid the looming removal of a federal emergency declaration. Read more.
COVID on the Rise in Alabama
COVID-19 has been creeping upward in Alabama during the holidays. The new daily average of COVID-19 cases in Alabama increased by 27% in the two weeks leading up to Dec. 21, the last day for which complete information was available. Read more.
COVID-19 Cases Rising Again in Alabama
The number of cases of COVID-19 in Alabama has risen steadily over the past week as the state’s vaccination rate remains among the lowest in the nation.
The state averaged 227 new cases a day for the week that ended Wednesday, up from an average of 153 a day one week earlier. The Alabama Department of Public Health reported a total of 550,451 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020. Read more.
Cancel Gatherings of 500 People or More, Jefferson County Health Officer Advises
Jefferson County’s health officer, Dr. Mark Wilson, in a press conference Thursday recommended canceling all public gatherings of 500 people or more in a bid to protect people from the new coronavirus. No one in Alabama has been diagnosed with COVID-19, but there’s a good chance there are undiagnosed cases in the state, Wilson said. Read more.
UAB Latest Area College to Move Classes Online to Battle COVID-19 Threat
UPDATED — Several Birmingham-area institutes of higher learning are considering moving to online classes in the wake of Samford University’s announcement that it will begin the electronic classes Monday to avoid exposure to coronavirus. Read more.
