Alabama Sees ‘Unprecedented’ Surge In COVID-19 Hospitalizations
On Tuesday afternoon, Alabama hospitals were caring for more than 1,000 in-patients with COVID-19, up from about 200 at the beginning of July.
“We are still far below the peak that we saw in December and January … although I will tell you the slope of this increase, the rate at which the hospitalization numbers are going up, is unprecedented in Alabama,” said State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris during a media call Tuesday.
“This has shot up really, really quickly, which is very concerning to us.”
Harris said the surge is linked to the more contagious delta variant, coupled with Alabama’s low vaccination rate. The state is currently last in the nation, with about 32% of residents fully vaccinated.
Harris said health officials are desperately trying to increase that number.
“We are pushing every button and pulling every lever we can, but what works for some, doesn’t work for others,” Harris said. “It’s just difficult to reach some people.”
Some local groups have offered cash incentives and other perks to encourage vaccinations. Harris said that doesn’t work for everyone.
“We’re certainly not opposed to incentives at all,” he said. “However, I don’t know of an incentive program that’s been wildly successful anywhere.”
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has pushed back against the idea of incentivizing vaccinations.
“There are those who believe that government should mandate the vaccine or that we should bribe people to take it,” Ivey wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday in the Washington Post. “That’s not going to happen in my state, no matter how many times the media ask me.”
As COVID cases increase across the country, many health experts are calling for a return to universal mask-wearing, even among those who are fully vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its guidance Tuesday, stating that some fully vaccinated people should wear masks indoors if they live in areas with significant viral spread. The agency also recommended all teachers, staff and students of K-12 schools wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.
This week, Huntsville City Schools and Birmingham City Schools announced mask mandates for the beginning of the 2021 academic year.
Harris said the Alabama Department of Public Health is following CDC guidance and encourages mask-wearing, but a statewide mask requirement is unlikely.
Indian authorities begin investigating Air India crash in which 1 passenger survived
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the crash with help from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Authorities said Friday that the black box has been recovered.
Oil prices jump and stocks tumble following Israel’s attack on Iran
Israel's attack on Iran sparked the biggest jump in crude oil prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. Stocks fell sharply.
‘I just walked out’: The sole survivor of the Air India crash shares his story
Viswashkumar Ramesh was on his way home to London when tragedy struck. In hospital interviews, he explains how he made his way out of seat 11A — which isn't typically the safest part of the plane.
Sean Combs’ ex describes relationship marked by ‘manipulation’: ‘I couldn’t say no’
The woman who dated Combs until his arrest described the relationship in complex terms — traumatic but sometimes loving — and seemed to be working through her feelings about it on the witness stand.
A 2nd judge halts more of Trump’s voting executive order
More than a month after a federal judge halted a key portion of President Trump's executive order on voting, another judge has ruled that additional provisions of the order need to pause as well.
Why did Israel strike Iran? An Israeli politician and a US-Iran expert weigh in
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon about his country's strikes.
