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UAB expert warns court in elections suit of possible COVID-19 spike in fall

A renowned Birmingham infectious disease physician believes Alabama needs to take precautions as elections near, and warned of a likely spike in COVID-19 cases in the fall. Dr. Michael Saag, a professor and associate dean at UAB’s School of Medicine and a leading HIV/Aid researcher and expert on infectious diseases, wrote to the Circuit Court … Continued
June 18, 2020

Jones introduces bills to strengthen telemedicine amid COVID-19 crisis

U.S. Senator Doug Jones, D-Alabama, on Thursday announced that he and a bipartisan group of colleagues introduced legislation meant to bolster telemedicine in Alabama and across the country.  The legislation directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study telehealth programs and learn how they can be better used in future health emergencies. … Continued
June 18, 2020

Jones calls on state leaders to speak up about dangers of COVID-19 as cases surge

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, on Thursday called on state leaders to tell the public the truth about COVID-19, that even though we’re reopening after restrictions meant to slow its spread, the virus is “real” and “deadly” and it’s still spreading.  “COVID in Alabama is still raging,” Jones said during a press conference Thursday.  Jones … Continued
June 18, 2020

Montgomery mayor issues order mandating face masks in public

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed announced an executive order Wednesday mandating the wearing of face masks in the city, a day after the City Council vote on the requirement failed in a 4-4 tie. Reed said that after listening to warnings from health experts, he decided that the rule was necessary. Montgomery has seen rising hospitalizations … Continued
June 17, 2020

Report: Medicaid expansion needed during COVID-19 crisis

More than 340,000 Alabamians are suffering because the state hasn’t expanded Medicaid, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to do so is all the more critical, according to a report released Wednesday.  The Montgomery-based nonprofit Alabama Arise’s report, Medicaid Matters: Charting the Course to a Healthier Alabama, details how an expansion of the federal … Continued
June 17, 2020

ICU bed use, COVID-19 hospitalizations reach new highs in Alabama

Since the first case of COVID-19 arrived in Alabama in March, Dr. Donald Williamson, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, has said he’s confident the state’s hospitals can handle an influx of coronavirus patients. That changed Tuesday morning, when the state recorded the most COVID-19 patients ever being cared for across the state and, … Continued
June 16, 2020

Alabama’s surge in COVID-19 cases troubling, UAB doctors say

Alabama’s surge in COVID-19 cases is stressing hospitals and, if the rise in cases continues, could put all patients in jeopardy, doctors at UAB Hospital said on Monday.  Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of UAB’s infectious diseases division, said during a press briefing Monday that the state continues to see record-breaking numbers of new coronavirus cases. … Continued
June 15, 2020