Alabama Department of Public Health

News / Health / State

Governor closes more businesses, but no stay-at-home order

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday ordered closed until April 17 numerous types of businesses where personal contact is close, as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continues to increase statewide. Business ordered temporarily closed include athletic events, entertainment venues, non-essential retail shops and service establishments with close contact. “I do not believe our … Continued

March 27, 2020

At least 62 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at UAB in Birmingham

UPDATE: UAB now says there are 55 patients hospitalized at the hospital, as of Friday, March 27, 2020. The number dropped on Friday. There are at least 62 patients hospitalized at UAB Medical Center in Birmingham because of complications from COVID-19 as the number of cases has skyrocketed in the past 24 hours. UAB says … Continued

March 26, 2020

Groups file complaint against Alabama’s emergency plan for use of ventilators

Two groups filed a federal complaint over Alabama’s “last resort” plan that could ration ventilators during a pandemic like the COVID-19 outbreak, preventing many disabled people and those with other underlying medical conditions from getting the lifesaving treatment. On Tuesday, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program and The Arc of the United States filed a complaint … Continued

March 25, 2020

Gov. Ivey says no plans for statewide “shelter-in-place” order

Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday said there are no plans for a statewide shelter-in-place order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have seen other states in the country doing that, as well as other countries, but however ya’ll. We are not California. We are not New York. We aren’t even Louisiana,” Ivey said on a … Continued

March 24, 2020

Alabama is going to need more ventilators. It seems to have no plan

It has been less than two weeks since Alabama reported its first positive case of the new novel coronavirus. Since then, the number has jumped to 242 positive cases. There are sure to be more. Several hospitals across the state, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, are already nearing their capacity. At any … Continued

March 24, 2020

How the coronavirus can upend a life in just a few days

The direct message on Twitter came from a familiar name, which made the contents a bit more unsettling. My cousin, Payton, was writing to let me know that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had all the symptoms — fever, a cough, achy all over. And he had been in and out of … Continued

March 24, 2020

Testing supplies remain scarce across Alabama, state health officer says

A lack of testing supplies continues to make it difficult to see the extent of COVID-19’s infection rate across Alabama, according to the state’s health officer. “Testing continues to be a concern for us,” said state health officer Dr. Scott Harris, speaking at a press conference in Montgomery on Monday. “One of our continuing problems … Continued

March 23, 2020

State warns against in-person church services as Alabama COVID-19 cases rise

It’s a sad and unfortunate result of the coronavirus outbreak, but you should not attend in-person church services, for the time being, the Alabama Department of Public Health advises. This guidance is true especially if your church congregation is larger than 25 people or if you’re an older person, the population most vulnerable to adverse … Continued

March 21, 2020

“We must all do better:” Hundreds of Tuscaloosa COVID-19 tests rejected

UPDATE: This story has been updated with new information from DCH Health System. The new information indicates that most of the 528 untested samples were not able to be tested because there was a lack of testable material, not because of an issue with sample storage during transport, which was initially cited by the hospital … Continued

March 20, 2020

U.S. government report predicts 18 months of COVID-19 outbreak in America

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

March 20, 2020