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EPA Rejects Move To Strengthen Air Pollution Limits
The Trump EPA announced this week that it will not lower the current limit on particulate air pollution, an action that disappointed but didn’t surprise public health scientists and clean-air advocates.
Is Stay-in-Place Currently A Wise Policy For Alabama?
There's a tension between the social distancing measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and the economic cost that's causing. The Harvard Club of Birmingham took up that issue in a formal debate this week.
After 22 Days, UAB Staff Celebrate First COVID Patient Released From ICU
After falling ill with COVID-19, Bill Chambers was admitted to intensive care and placed on a ventilator. He spent 22 days in the hospital and was recently released, becoming the first COVID patient discharged from UAB Hospital's ICU.
Frustration And Anxiety While Waiting for Unemployment Benefits To Arrive
More than 285,000 Alabamians have filed for unemployment benefits in the last month as the coronavirus outbreak has forced layoffs and furloughs. Many applicants have yet to receive any money.
Coronavirus Peaks In Alabama On April 20. Here’s What To Expect
COVID-19 is expected to peak Monday. Here's how UAB has been preparing for this and the months that follow.
UAB’s Pastoral Care Team Counsels Health Care Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Hospital chaplains usually show comfort to patients or their families, but at UAB that has changed. During the coronavirus pandemic, the pastoral care team spends a lot of time counseling health care workers who are on the front lines.
There Will Be a Day After, But Then Comes The Day After That
UAB officials are starting to look toward the day when the number of COVID-19 cases starts to decline in Alabama, but there are no easy answers to what could come next.
Birmingham Commits Another $1 Million To Temporary Worker Program
In an abnormally short, 13-minute meeting on Tuesday, the Birmingham City Council voted to allocate more funds to the city’s fight against COVID-19.
Birmingham To Launch Ride Service For COVID-19 Patients
A new service to transport low-income COVID-19 patients to health care facilities is expected to launch in Birmingham this week.
Gov. Kay Ivey Taps Committee to Plan For Reopening Alabama’s Economy
Gov. Kay Ivey is creating a new executive committee that’ll field recommendations on when to reopen the state’s economy.
Parole Hearings Will Resume With “Reduced Person-To-Person Interaction”
The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles will resume parole hearings May 18 after stopping them last month in response to COVID-19. Advocates say the state should expedite the parole process to protect inmates and alleviate prison overcrowding.
Schools Faced Social Distancing Hurdles In Meal Prep And Distribution
Since schools have been out statewide, some districts have struggled to continue to provide meals. After a bumpy start, Birmingham and Jefferson County schools have opted to outsource their meal programs.
Surviving A Pandemic: How The 1918 Spanish Flu Changed Life In Alabama
COVID-19 is not the first pandemic to strike around the world. In 1918, the Spanish Influenza had a dramatic impact on daily life everywhere, including Alabama.
Volunteers Step Up To Face The Challenges Of The Pandemic
Efforts in Birmingham to thwart the spread of COVID-19 stretch from volunteer organizations that have stitched more than 18,500 cloth face masks to tech companies and businesses using prototyping, fabrication and 3D printers to create face shields and ventilator adaptors, as well as prototypes for portable intensive care units.
Working At Home With Kids: How The Pandemic Is Changing The Work-Life Balance
While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people apart, it has also created a common ground for millions — by making many work from home. But many parents are now learning to manage their job and teach their kids at the same time.
As Quarantine Spurs Demand, Some Companies Are Hiring
Many businesses have laid off workers as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but plenty of companies in Alabama are hiring. While some companies grapple with worker safety concerns, it hasn't stopped them from growing.
How Inhaled Nitric Oxide Could Treat COVID-19
UAB announced Tuesday it will start testing inhaled nitric oxide as a treatment for COVID-19 patients. Nitric oxide was also used during the 2003 SARS pandemic and showed that it not only helped increase oxygen in patients, but also had anti-viral properties
Virus Tsunami Could Swamp Alabama’s Health Care, Particularly In Rural Areas
Health professionals warn that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't hit its peak in Alabama yet. Some say that when it does it could be a major disaster for the state’s health care infrastructure.
Parenting Hotline Shows The Rising Stress Of Coronavirus At Home
Parenting is hard enough as it is, much less during the coronavirus crisis. A parental hotline offers help for those stressing out over their kids.
Alabama Numbers Show Race Disparity In COVID-19 Deaths
More than 40 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in Alabama have been in African Americans even though about a fourth of the state’s population is black, data released by state health officials showed Tuesday.
Pregnant Women Are Changing Their Birth Plans Amid COVID-19 Fears
Due to COVID-19, hospitals are limiting the number of people who can be present during labor and delivery. That's one reason some pregnant women are considering giving birth at home.
Alabama Labor Department Urges Patience For Unemployment Claims
Alabama has seen a record number of unemployment claims because of the coronavirus. The state Department of Labor is trying to keep up.
Getting Government Services During Pandemic Requires Patience, Persistence
Alabama residents who need to renew their driver’s license during the coronavirus shutdown will have to do it online.
Gov. Ivey Issues Statewide Stay-At-Home Order Effective April 4
Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide stay-at-home order Friday after mounting pressure by state and local leaders.
Distance Learning Begins Monday. What’s The Plan?
Closed through the end of the academic year, Alabama K-12 schools will being distance learning Monday. Jefferson County Schools released information Friday about their plan.
Birmingham Extends Shelter-In-Place Order Through April
“People need to remember that people are dying, that this has the potential to continue to spread,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says. “If you can’t take this serious[ly] and police yourself, then we will gladly assist and help you.”
Alabama’s Largest City Tightens Restrictions To Stem Spread Of Coronavirus
Birmingham is under a shelter-in-place order and hospitals are being inundated with a wave of COVID-19 patients. We talk with a local cardiologist who is now ill with the disease about the pandemic's toll on the health care system.
Three Mini Stories To Make You Smile During The COVID-19 Crisis
There's so much news about the coronavirus it can be overwhelming. So here are three bright moments in the midst of the pandemic.
Coronavirus Impacts Revenue At Birmingham Zoo
Spring usually kicks off the busy season for the Birmingham Zoo, but not this year. Like many attractions across the nation, the zoo is closed until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Doug Jones: Alabama ‘Critically Unprepared’ For COVID-19
Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones says Alabama is an "unhealthy" state with a high-risk population. He says officials should implement strict measures to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Falling Tax Revenue Looms For State, Counties, Cities
Late April will bring financial pain for state and local governments as businesses in Alabama begin submitting lower taxes because of the coronavirus.
New Coronavirus Tracker Hopes To Locate Hotspots In Rural, Underserved Areas
UAB has created a new symptom checker to track the spread of COVID-19. The website hopes to give public health officials insight on virus hotspots, especially in underserved communities.
