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Jefferson County extends closure of night clubs, theaters and other entertainment venues

The Jefferson County Department of Health has extended closures of “high-risk” entertainment venues in the state’s most populous county as those types of businesses can begin opening in the rest of the state. “Even though things have been opening up, it does not mean that things are better in our community in terms of the … Continued
May 22, 2020

Alabama’s unemployment rate jumps to 12.9 percent

Alabama’s unemployment rate has surged almost 10 percentage points over the past two months to nearly 13 percent, the Alabama Department of Labor said Friday, another sign of the economic toll caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted April unemployment rate is 12.9 percent, which is up from … Continued
May 22, 2020

Alabama partners with Google, Apple in coronavirus exposure tech

Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday announced that the state is one of four to have signed a deal with Google and Apple to use the companies’ software to build an app that would notify a person if they’ve come into contact with someone with coronavirus.  “Hopefully this will become an important tool in the tool … Continued
May 21, 2020

Alabama reopens entertainment venues; sporting events can soon resume

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday said more business — including entertainment venues like arcades, theaters and bowling alleys — can reopen starting Friday. At a press conference Thursday, Ivey announced an amended “safer-at-home” order that allows entertainment venues to reopen, athletic activities to resume and educational institutions to reopen in the near future. The … Continued
May 21, 2020

With reckless abandon

This is Thursday. Since Sunday, we’ve had more than 1,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Alabama. Let that number sink in. Some of those 1,000-plus new cases will end in death or permanent damage. Our caseloads are going up. They’re not on a plateau. They are increasing, by more than 1,000 in … Continued
May 21, 2020

Alabama’s long-overdue prison bill

Although scientists haven’t yet confirmed it, there is a cure for COVID-19: Incarceration in an Alabama prison.  It’s amazing, really.  If you work in the prisons or visit an Alabama prison, you get the coronavirus. If you’re an inmate who leaves an Alabama prison for a short period of time, you also get the virus.  … Continued
May 21, 2020

Former Auburn coach Pat Dye tests positive for COVID-19

Former Auburn head football coach Pat Dye, a legend in college football, has tested positive for COVID-19 while hospitalized for an ongoing medical condition, according to his brother’s church. Dye, who served as head football coach at Auburn University from 1981 to 1992, was diagnosed recently with the virus and tested positive while in the … Continued
May 20, 2020

Montgomery hospitals are out of ICU beds, mayor says

Some of the River Region’s major hospitals have run out of intensive care beds and others only have one or two beds left, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said Wednesday at a press conference in Alabama’s capital city. “Right now, if you’re from Montgomery, and you need an ICU bed, you’re in trouble,” Reed said. “If … Continued
May 20, 2020

Will in-person graduation ceremonies pose a risk?

After Alabama relaxed rules last week that limited crowds to 10 people or less to prevent the spread of COVID-19, multiple schools are now planning to hold in-person graduation ceremonies.  Gatherings of any size are now allowed as long as people from different households stay at least 6 feet apart. Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. … Continued
May 18, 2020

Is there no middle ground on coronavirus?

So, what’s the plan for living with COVID-19?  It would be nice to have a plan, wouldn’t it? Something that falls between “REOPEN EVERYTHING NOW!!!!!” and “SHUT IT ALL DOWN UNTIL IT’S SAFE!!!!” for those of us sane people who understand that life in the coming months will almost certainly have to fall somewhere in … Continued
May 18, 2020