COVID19

News / Health / State

Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins dies after battle with COVID-19

Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins, from Lee County, a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, has died. He was 86. “We are deeply saddened to notify you that after a courageous battle with COVID-19, Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins departed this life today, with beloved family at his bedside,” the Bennie Adkins … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 17, 2020

Opinion

Coronavirus crisis begs for Alabama Medicaid expansion

Rep. Anthony Daniels is the minority leader in the House of Representatives, and Sen. Bobby Singleton is the minority leader in the Alabama Senate. As coronavirus continues to spread across Alabama, its unprecedented and devastating impacts are shedding a bright light on glaring gaps and discrepancies in our healthcare system. Here, as in other states … Continued

Bobby Singleton

April 17, 2020

State prisons to began accepting county jail inmates, under conditions

The Alabama Department of Corrections on Thursday announced it would begin accepting inmates from county jails once the 30-day moratorium is over on the week of April 20, but will do so gradually, in limited numbers and won’t accept inmates who have COVID-19 symptoms. “Additionally, the Department will not accept intakes from any jail facility … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

April 16, 2020

How to track the status of your unemployment claim

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced Thursday that the agency has launched a new online tool to enable claimants to see the status of their unemployment claim, tell them what the next steps are and what to expect from the department. The tool includes the following information: What is My Claim Status? Tells … Continued

April 16, 2020

280,000 Alabamians filed unemployment claims over the last month

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to add Alabamians to the state’s unemployment rolls. Another 77,515 Alabamians filed an initial jobless claim last week, bringing the total since the week ending March 14 up to 279,431, or about 12.5 percent of the state’s total labor force in February 2020. The number of … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 16, 2020

Alabama surpasses 4,000 COVID-19 cases, reported deaths reach 116

At least 4,000 Alabamians have tested positive for COVID-19, the Alabama Department of Public Health says. As of Wednesday morning, 4,006 positive cases have been reported in the state. At least 116 people have died after testing positive for the virus. Of those, 75 deaths have been verified by the department of health’s epidemiology staff. … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 15, 2020

More than 500 Alabama health care workers infected with COVID-19

The number of health care workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 continues to rise in Alabama. At least 500 Alabama health care workers who work at hospitals and doctor’s offices have tested positive for the virus, the Alabama Department of Public Health says. Data released Saturday shows the number rose to 504 by April … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 11, 2020

Alabama small business task force forms subcommittee on reopening state’s economy

Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth on Thursday announced that the Alabama Small Business Commission Emergency Task Force has formed a subcommittee on reopening the state’s economy and plans to present a plan to Gov. Kay Ivey and State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris by April 17. “Reopening Alabama’s economy and getting businesses back to work will … Continued

April 9, 2020

Feds seizing needed supplies slowed state’s COVID-19 testing efforts

Add Alabama to the list of states that have had trouble acquiring needed medical supplies from commercial vendors because the federal government intervened and took the supplies. The federal government has been quietly seizing orders of medical supplies, protective gear and testing materials across the country, and Alabama has not been immune. The federal government’s … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 9, 2020

More than half of Alabama COVID-19 deaths are among black people

More than half of the deaths so far in Alabama from COVID-19 have been among black people, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Black Alabamians make up only 27 percent of the state’s population. New data released Wednesday shows that the number of deaths among black people infected with COVID-19 in Alabama is … Continued

Chip Brownlee

April 8, 2020