Alabama Department of Public Health

News / Health / State

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

Eddie Burkhalter

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

Eddie Burkhalter

March 24, 2020

Opinion

Analysis | 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

Chip Brownlee

March 24, 2020

Opinion

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

Josh Moon

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

Eddie Burkhalter

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

Chip Brownlee

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

Chip Brownlee

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

Eddie Burkhalter

March 20, 2020

Gov. Kay Ivey closes beaches, expands restaurant restrictions statewide

UPDATE: Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health said Friday that this public health order issued Thursday is not meant to apply to work-related gatherings of 25 people or more. Read more about how this applies to businesses here. Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Public Health on Thursday issued … Continued

March 19, 2020

Alabama is setting up the ability to contact doctors with telehealth

The Alabama Senate earlier this month approved a $5 million supplemental appropriation to the budget to combat the spread of COVID-19, a condition caused by a novel strain of coronavirus. Much of that funding was to set up coronavirus testing, but the state is also working on setting up the ability to contact doctors with … Continued

Brandon Moseley

March 19, 2020