Jackson County Reports Alabama’s First Coronavirus Death
By Scott Morris
UPDATED —An employee at the Jackson County Courthouse has died from the coronavirus, according to County Commission Chairman Tim Guffey, which could be Alabama’s first death from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guffey released a statement today, which said the employee worked in a department of the courthouse that did not require regular contact with the public. The courthouse will not reopen, however, until at least April 6, he added.
“From the day that the part-time employee last worked, the expected incubation period has now expired,” Guffey said. “All county employees who work in the same department have been notified and none of them have reported any symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus.”
Guffey said the county, located in the Tennessee Valley in northeast Alabama, will sanitize and check the area where the employee worked before allowing any employees to return to the courthouse.
“We will continue to monitor the situation to protect the health of all employees and the public,” he said.
Guffey did not identify the employee or say when the employee died
The Alabama Department of Public Health this evening confirmed the death. The victim had underlying health conditions and died out of state, according to the department’s news release.
The number of confirmed cases in Alabama jumped to 386 on March 25, according to the health department website. The department closes out the numbers each day at 4 p.m.
Jefferson County leads the state in the number of cases at 129. Other top counties were Shelby with 42 cases, Lee with 40, Madison with 35, Tuscaloosa with 15 and Montgomery with 13.
Jackson County had two confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to the health department.
Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds
Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.
Trump expands military use at the southern border. Are there legal limits?
The Posse Comitatus Act restricts using federal troops in civilian law enforcement. Exceptions exist, but Trump's crackdown on immigration is shaping up to be a major test for the law.
Critics warn DOJ is being politicized despite vows to end its purported weaponization
Critics warn that despite President Trump's call to end the purported weaponization of the Justice Department, it has become more politicized in the president's first three months back in office.
Trump has said Canada should be the 51st state. Today, he meets its prime minister
Prime Minister Mark Carney won the Canadian election vowing to take on President Trump. Tuesday, they meet for the first time in the Oval Office.
Twenty years later, the REAL ID deadline is here. Here’s why it took so long
REAL ID will be enforced in U.S. airports starting May 7. Implementing the law involved years of negotiations between federal and state officials.
Meet the Florida group chipping away at public benefits one state at a time
The Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that's been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation's public assistance programs.
