Health

State superintendent says challenges await when students return to class

Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey said Tuesday that as public schools plan to reopen for in-person instruction in the fall, school nurses could play a critical role in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus that shuttered them. Mackey, speaking with reporters and members of the Alabama House Democratic Caucus in a webinar session Tuesday, said … Continued

May 5, 2020

AlabamaWorks business survey shows pandemic’s impact

Nearly 1,800 business owners across the state participated in the Alabama COVID-19 Workforce Response Survey. Developed by AlabamaWorks, the survey results provide an in-depth look at the pandemic’s impact on Alabama’s employers and will, ultimately, help determine how private industry and state government together can best support the economy and get people back to work. … Continued

May 5, 2020

Alabama lab authorized by FDA to do widespread COVID-19 testing

Golden Point Scientific Labs of Hoover has doubled its testing capacity and received FDA authorization to conduct widespread testing for COVID-19, giving health providers and community organizations a new alternative to identify those who have been exposed to the virus. Golden Point Scientific Labs will partner with a range of agencies and providers to offer … Continued

May 5, 2020

National Federation of Independent Business wants changes to Paycheck Protection Program

A Tennessee-based nonprofit advocacy group for small businesses on Monday asked the federal government to make changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides loans to COVID-19-impacted small businesses. The National Federation of Independent Business in a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Treasury Department on Monday recommended several changes the … Continued

May 5, 2020

Seventh Alabama inmate tests positive for COVID-19

An inmate at the St. Clair Correctional Facility has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the seventh state inmate to test positive for the virus, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced late Monday. The man tested positive “while he was at a local hospital where he received care for a non-COVID-19 related preexisting medical condition,” ADOC’s … Continued

May 4, 2020

Widely cited model projects eightfold increase to Alabama death toll

The COVID-19 model that has been widely cited by officials in Alabama and the White House’s coronavirus task force has been updated again, delivering a dire new projection that Alabama could see an eight-fold increase to its death toll by August and a new peak by late June or early July. But for Alabama, in … Continued

May 4, 2020

Long-term care facilities linked to nearly 40 percent of Alabama COVID-19 deaths

Nearly 40 percent of Alabama’s COVID-19 deaths have been among long-term care facility residents. As of Monday, 107 long-term care facility residents have died from the virus, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The 107 reported deaths among long-term care facility residents account for 36.1 percent of the state’s 296 COVID-19 deaths, as … Continued

May 4, 2020

More than 1,200 COVID-19 cases in Alabama long-term care facilities

More than 1,200 long-term care facility residents and employees in Alabama have tested positive for COVID-19, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported Sunday. At least 770 residents and 496 employees have tested positive, according to the latest data. The cases in these long-term care facilities, which include both nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, account … Continued

May 3, 2020

Sixth Alabama inmate, 16th prison worker tests positive for COVID-19

A sixth inmate in Alabama prisons has tested positive for COVID-19, and three more prison workers as well, the Alabama Department of Corrections said Friday evening. A man serving at Easterling Correctional Facility in Clio tested positive at a local hospital where he was being treated for “advanced, non-COVID-19 related medical conditions that were considered … Continued

May 2, 2020

Jones asks for clarity on COVID-19 loan forgiveness for small businesses

U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Alabama, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, on Friday called for clarity on loan forgiveness for small businesses that received coronavirus-related grants through the Paycheck Protection Program. “On Monday, April 27, the second round of funding began to help support our small businesses. However, the terms for forgiveness were and continue … Continued

May 1, 2020