‘Drastic Efforts’ In Jeffco Aim To Curb The Spread Of Coronavirus
Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson announced a series of orders to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. At a press conference Monday evening, Wilson said the department is aware of 17 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, but that number is certain to be a “major underrepresentation.”
“Based on our initial disease investigations,” Wilson said, “we do believe that we now have community spread within Jefferson County.”
He said the county has been issuing quarantine orders to people who have tested positive for the virus, and to those with whom they have been in direct contact. Still, Wilson estimated coronavirus cases will double every two days if action is not taken.
“We need to take drastic efforts to avoid contact with one another, contact with people that might have the disease, so that we can slow down the spread,” Wilson said.
For residents of Jefferson County, what once were recommendations have become official orders.
Beginning Tuesday, March 17, all gatherings of 25 people or more are prohibited countywide. All senior centers, where senior adults gather for social activities, shall be closed. All nursing homes and long-term care facilities must prohibit all visitors with limited exceptions, such as end of life situations. These orders are to remain until further notice, officials said.
Also effective Tuesday, all Jefferson County bars, breweries and restaurants are to prohibit in-person dining and drinking for one week. During this time, establishments can still offer take-out and delivery and are “strongly encouraged” to offer online ordering and curbside pick-up. Hospital food service areas are exempt from this order.
Beginning Thursday, March 19, all Jefferson County private schools, preschools and daycare centers with 12 or more children must close until April 6, at which point officials may determine to extend the order.
Wilson said the orders are “legally binding” and can be enforced with a court order. He said staff with the Jefferson County Department of Health will make in-person visits to ensure restaurants and childcare centers understand and follow the orders.
“I know this has a big impact on our community,” Wilson said. “We all have to work together … We can make a big difference in the outcome of this, but we must act now.”
Several local leaders joined Wilson at the press conference, including Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway and Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker. They said the county will establish a Joint Information Center to streamline the flow of information related to the coronavirus.
Wilson said he “would not be surprised” if these orders are soon adopted statewide.
How Alabama’s first commuted death sentence this century came about
Robin "Rocky" Myers has been on Alabama’s death row for more than 30 years. Then, on February 28, he became the first Alabamian this century to have his death sentence commuted.
Steve Reich has always been to able to hear the pulse
The 88-year-old composer, who talks as fast as the interlocking phrases of his music, looks back on crucial moments in a career that moved minimalism into the mainstream.
There’s a lot to unpack in ‘Black Bag’ — a witty, sexy spy thriller
Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender play a high-ranking spy couple in Steven Soderbergh's new film. Black Bag offers Bond-style globe-trotting intrigue and marital dramedy.
Photos: Across the U.S., sky gazers marvel at the blood moon lunar eclipse
As the moon moved through the shadow of the Earth, it was also being illuminated by light from the sun — causing the moon to appear as if dipped in a deep red hue in a stunning celestial sight.
Hamas says it’s willing to release the five American hostages in Gaza
Hamas, the militant group the U.S. has labeled as terrorists, says it's willing to release the one living American hostage and bodies of four others it's held in Gaza since the 2023 attacks in Israel.
Dorothy Thompson: The journalist who warned us about Hitler
Dorothy Thompson saw the rise of Nazi Germany as a foreign correspondent in Berlin. A new series from Radio Diaries tells the story of Thompson's career as a radio broadcaster.