COVID-19

News / Health / State

Isolation, mental health problems persist for seniors in Alabama amid COVID-19

Seniors in Alabama are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, and the isolation caused by the social distancing needed to keep them safe comes with its own set of special problems for them, according to state experts on senior care. Those experts spoke about the needs of Alabama seniors amid the COVID-19 crisis during a … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 12, 2020

10 inmates, staff test positive for COVID-19 at Pickens County federal prison

At least six inmates and four employees at a federal prison in West Alabama have tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, at least 12 cases have been identified in federal correctional facilities in Alabama, ten of them at Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville, a low-security women’s prison in southern Pickens County. … Continued

Chip Brownlee

May 12, 2020

Inmate dies after falling ill at Birmingham work release center

A woman serving at the Birmingham Women’s Community Based Facility and Community Work Center died Monday after falling ill and being taken to a local hospital, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. Colony Nicole Wilson, 40, complained of feeling sick while at the Birmingham work release center and was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital, … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 12, 2020

Prison workers at Kilby, Tutwiler prisons test positive for COVID-19

An employee at the Kilby Correctional Facility and another worker at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women have tested positive for COVID-19, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced Monday. The two workers have self-quarantined and ADOC’s Office of Health Services is investigating whether any inmates or coworkers may have been exposed to the infected employee, … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 11, 2020

Alabama passes 10,000 COVID-19 cases, 400 deaths as more businesses reopen

The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Alabama surpassed 10,000 and the death toll reached 400 on Monday as more businesses including restaurants, barbershops, gyms and salons began reopening after the governor relaxed her “safer-at-home” restrictions. Infectious diseases experts and public health officials stress the virus is still spreading in the … Continued

Chip Brownlee

May 11, 2020

Alabama ranks as 4th most open state despite rise in COVID-19 cases

Gov. Kay Ivey’s decision Friday to reopen more state businesses and relax more of her safer-at-home order starting Monday put Alabama as the fourth most open state in the nation, according to a state and local government lobbying firm’s analysis. The Alexandria, Virginia-based Multistate Associates lobbying firm on Monday moved Alabama from the 22nd most … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 11, 2020

Opinion

Government being weighed in the balance

President Donald Trump, on March 27, 2020, signed into law the U.S. government’s Phase 3 aid package known as the CARES Act to provide relief for states and individual local governments to combat the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of failed private negotiations between members of the executive and legislative branches of … Continued

Bill Britt

May 11, 2020

Opinion

Alabama is “reopening” on Monday, but not because things are better

Things are not better. COVID-19 has not slowed its spread throughout the state of Alabama. It is not easing. Numbers are not down. In fact, more new cases were reported a couple of days last week than ever before. From what I can tell, not a single benchmark set by the Trump White House has … Continued

Josh Moon

May 11, 2020

Legislature passes largest education budget in state history despite COVID-19 economic crisis

Saturday the Alabama State Senate approves the largest education budget in the history of the state. The budget was passed that morning with a bipartisan 31 to 0 vote just two days after the Alabama House of Representatives passed the budget. The Senate did make minor changes to the House budget, but the House voted … Continued

Brandon Moseley

May 11, 2020

Ainsworth commends Ivey for reopening more businesses

Friday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) revised the state public health order to allow the reopening of restaurants, gyms, and close-contact service providers with proper social distancing enforced. The Governor also removes the 10-person limit on non-work gatherings, although six-foot distancing remains in place. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth commended the Governor for allowing those business … Continued

Brandon Moseley

May 11, 2020