Health

State school superintendent Erick Mackey announced Friday that Alabama will ask the federal government for a waiver so that the state can suspend all state testing for the rest of the year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  Speaking to reporters Friday Mackey said there will also be no report cards given out for the rest … Continued

Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health said Friday that a public health order issued Thursday is not meant to apply to work-related gatherings of 25 people or more. “In order to keep Alabama going, we must keep Alabama businesses going to the best of our abilities,” Ivey said. “I fully support … Continued

The Alabama Department of Commerce announced Tuesday that a number of Alabama firms, research institutions and scientists have been mobilized in the international effort to fight the novel coronavirus, which has killed over ten thousand people this year. Huntsville’s Diatherix announced that it has developed a highly sensitive and specific assay, or test, for the … Continued

A recent report by the federal government, backed by another in the UK, estimates the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. “will last 18 months or longer and could include multiple waves of illness.”  The 100-page unclassified COVID-19 response plan drafted by the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and obtained by The New York … Continued

There is not enough help coming fast enough to the people struggling the most.  That was the message from Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels, who was asked on the “Alabama Politics This Week” podcast about the efforts of Alabama’s state government to address the COVID-19 pandemic.  [visual-link-preview encoded=”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”] “If you’ve never been poor, you … Continued

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, and Congresswoman Terri Sewell, D-Selma, sent a letter urging Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and her administration to extend unemployment benefits for Alabamians impacted by the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. “As our state and nation responds to the COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging ‘social distancing,’ many workers in … Continued

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama, Senate Majority Whip John Thune and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, all Republicans, released “The Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020” as part of the broader Senate economic response package. Sponsors say that the legislation would allow the Treasury Secretary to provide up to $208 billion … Continued

Alabama State University is postponing its 2020 spring graduation ceremony, which was scheduled for May. ASU is extremely proud of each of its students, and especially its 2020 graduating seniors. In accordance with the latest reports and guidelines from the federal government and health organizations, the University is postponing its spring commencement convocation, which was scheduled for … Continued

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide order that all restaurants close dine-in services. Bars have been closed across the state and nursing homes across the country are not allowing visitors. Infectious disease experts recommend that meetings of more than ten people be abolished to fight the spread of the coronavirus. This means that sports … Continued