COVID-19
Alabama Lawmakers Return To Pass Budgets After Extended Coronavirus Break
Alabama lawmakers return to Montgomery Monday after an extended break because of the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans want to pass the budgets quickly. Democrats want to wait.
UAB Drug Remdesivir Is First to Block the COVID-19 Virus, May Become Standard of Care. Fauci “Optimistic.”
Remdesivir, a drug developed through a federal grant to UAB, may be the first effective therapy for treating severely ill COVID-19 patients, early analysis of a large federally sponsored study found this week.
Despite Relaxed COVID-19 Restrictions, Many Plan To Stay At Home
Gov. Kay Ivey will ease coronavirus restrictions starting at 5 p.m. Thursday. Under the new rules, businesses and all retailers can reopen. So will beaches and doctors offices. Nevertheless, many people plan to stay put.
Retailers And Beaches Allowed Conditional Reopening As Ivey Eases Stay-At-Home Order
Gov. Kay Ivey says retailers and public beaches can reopen under certain conditions as she relaxes a stay-at-home order issued to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Birmingham Requires Face Masks in Public Starting Friday
Birmingham residents will be legally required to wear face masks in public starting May 1.
UAB to Start COVID-19 Testing With Mobile Units in Bush Hills, Center Point
UAB will deploy a new COVID-19 mobile testing unit this week to communities across Jefferson County.
Alabama Lags Coronavirus Testing Rate Advised to Begin Reopening
Data shows Alabama lags behind most of its Southeast neighbors in COVID-19 testing.
UAB Hospital Losing $70 Million Per Month Due To COVID Restrictions
UAB Hospital is taking a financial hit from COVID-19. Officials announced Friday a projected loss of $70 million per month due to fewer clinical visits, elective surgeries and hospital stays.
Inside Alabama’s Prisons, Fear Of A Coronavirus Outbreak
Alabama corrections officials recently reported the first inmate death related to COVID-19. With several prisoners and staff members testing positive for the virus, those inside Alabama prisons worry this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Q&A With UAB Med School Dean Selwyn Vickers: Pandemic “Significantly” Shutting Down Clinical Trial Enterprise
BirminghamWatch spoke with the dean of UAB's Medical School about COVID-19's impact on clinical trials.
Ivey: Alabama Needs More Testing Before Reopening
Gov. Kay Ivey says the state needs an increase in COVID-19 testing before she reopens the state's economy.
COVID-19 Restrictions Not Slowing Work For Divorce Lawyers
Courtrooms are quieter because of the coronavirus. But divorce lawyers have found ways to keep working.
COVID-19 Crisis Threatens To Bankrupt And Close Struggling Hospitals In The Rural South
The executive director of the Alabama Rural Health Association says closing rural hospitals is his greatest concern. That's because these hospitals located across the Deep South were struggling to stay open before COVID-19.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
