coronavirus

News / Education / State

Alabama school officials cancel overseas travel over coronavirus concerns

The Alabama Department of Education has asked local school systems to disallow school-sponsored overseas travel as the department works to prevent a coronavirus outbreak. Mackey said that the state Department of Education has asked that local school districts cancel overseas travel “over the next several weeks.” “It’s not necessarily just about catching the virus overseas … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 11, 2020

Alabama Department of Correction’s coronavirus plan not ready

The Alabama Department of Corrections doesn’t yet have a plan for how to deal with coronavirus in state prisons, according to the department. “The ADOC will work with the ADPH and other state agencies to develop our Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), as the Department has in previous years in formulating our pandemic response,” wrote … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 11, 2020

Mobile Archbishop issues statement on liturgical practices due to coronavirus

Mobile’s Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi in a statement Monday issued directives meant to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus during liturgical celebrations. Rodi said that he had hoped previous statements sent to clergy, parents and students at Catholic schools on ways to prevent the spread of the virus would be enough. “I was not … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 10, 2020

NASA deals with the coronavirus

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Monday that a NASA employee in California has tested positive for the coronavirus. Bridenstine also announced plans to use telework to limit exposure if the virus becomes more of a threat. “On Sunday, March 8, we received confirmation an employee at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley tested positive … Continued

Brandon Moseley

March 10, 2020

UAB preparing for possibility of coronavirus outbreak, vaccine at least a year away

A vaccine for coronavirus is making its way through the testing process, but will likely take at least a year before it’s ready for the market, said a University of Alabama at Birmingham physician on Friday. Dr. Molly Fleece, an infectious disease expert at the UAB, told reporters at a press conference Friday that there … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 6, 2020

Fairhope church members quarantined in Bethlehem, hotel staff tested positive for coronavirus

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 11 a.m. Friday with news on church members’ testing. A Fairhope church says 13 members are being quarantined in a Bethlehem hotel after a previous visitor and 7 hotel workers tested positive for Coronavirus. Al.com reported Friday that the church members were tested for coronavirus Friday. In a … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 6, 2020

Alabama’s State Public Health lab ready to test for coronavirus

It was unclear for a time Thursday whether Alabama’s public health lab in Montgomery could test for coronavirus or not. Conflicting statements Thursday from an Alabama Department of Public Health physician and a tweet an hour later from the department’s official Twitter account made it uncertain whether the state’s lab can or cannot test for … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

March 6, 2020

Senate passes $8.3 billion in funding to deal with coronavirus

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby on Thursday applauded the Senate’s passage of an emergency supplemental funding package to deal with the coronavirus. The legislation provides $8.3 billion in total resources to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 strain coronavirus. “I am pleased Congress has swiftly passed this emergency supplemental to combat the dangerous Coronavirus,” … Continued

Brandon Moseley

March 6, 2020

Senate Health Committee updated on coronavirus crisis

Wednesday, Alabama Public Health Officer Scott Harris told the Alabama Senate Health Committee, “We have no cases in Alabama,” referring to the new strain of the coronavirus – COVID-19. The Chairman of the Senate Health Committee is Senator Jim McClendon (R-Springville). McClendon asked Dr. Harris to update the Committee on the threat from the coronavirus. … Continued

Brandon Moseley

March 5, 2020

House passes $7.7 billion supplemental funding package to address the coronavirus

Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a robust emergency supplemental funding package to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the Coronavirus, the COVID-19 strain. The package – which provides $7.767 billion in emergency appropriations, more than triple the Administration’s original request. “I voted ‘yes’ today to provide an additional $7.8 billion to fight the … Continued

Brandon Moseley

March 5, 2020