Coronavirus in Alabama: ALEA urges caution as lake, river visitors 'spike' in recent days
Melissa Brown
The ALEA Marine Patrol division has issued a warning that coronavirus restrictions still apply on Alabama waterways, which ALEA says have seen a spike in visitors in recent days.
"Activity on Alabama’s lakes, rivers and other bodies of water typically increases during spring break season, but ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division Troopers have seen numbers spike during the past few days with COVID-19 closures," ALEA said in a release. "These Troopers are patrolling waterways daily, and they want everyone to have an enjoyable but safe time by adhering to Governor Kay Ivey’s order as it relates to combating the spread of the virus."
As of Friday, all non-work related gatherings of 10 people or more, or gatherings of any size where consistent 6-foot distances can't be maintained between individuals, have been banned.
ALEA says these social distancing rules apply in and on the water.
Montgomery County cases low compared to other cities
At least three people remain hospitalized in the River Region with confirmed coronavirus cases, and another 27 hospitalized patients are awaiting test results, according to data released by Baptist Health Sunday.
The 27 patients are considered "under investigation" and could also have been tested for other respiratory illnesses such as the flu or bronchitis.
"We use extreme caution with inpatients to ensure we rule out every possible type of infection in hopes of cutting down on using PPE and/or exposing our team members unnecessarily," said Baptist Health in a release.
Two confirmed cases are hospitalized at Baptist East and one at Prattville. Baptist East has discharged 6 previous patients who tested positive for coronavirus.
Montgomery County's known coronavirus cases lag behind Alabama's five other counties containing large cities: Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, Lee and Tuscaloosa.
It is unclear why Montgomery, with 20 confirmed cases, has so far seen statistically fewer cases, though access to testing may be one possibility.
Since March 16, Baptist's Coronavirus Care Clinic in Montgomery has administered 480 tests, leading to 8 positives. Another 243 tests have been administered at Baptist South and East. And these numbers don't include possible tests given at other medical facilities.
By contrast, the Huntsville Hospital in Madison County had administered more than 3,000 as of Saturday. Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers said the hospital is using its own lab to process the tests and its totals may not be reflected in state numbers publicized by the Alabama Department of Public Health, according to a WAAY 31 report.
Auburn equipment staff sews medical masks
The Auburn equipment room is supposed to be bustling at this time of year. Football players need to get fitted for helmets and pads. Staff need to take inventory and get everything ready for the next season.
And that room was bustling Saturday — just not for any reason related to Tiger athletics.
Dana Marquez, Auburn's associate athletic director for equipment operations, worked a sewing machine across from Brian Maddox, who is the assistant equipment manager for Olympic sports and baseball. JT Thomas, who works with football, softball and gymnastics, cut fabric. Marquez's daughter Jordan, who is in medical school at Auburn, worked the iron. Marquez's wife, Liz, made the ties.
They were putting together medical masks to donate to whichever medical professionals need them as they work tirelessly to treat patients with coronavirus. As of Saturday evening, there were more than 700 cases in the state of Alabama (nearly 60 in Lee County) and at least five deaths.
Cases increase to 820
Alabama’s confirmed coronavirus cases jumped to 820 by 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a day after an Opelika hospital reported five deaths at its facility in less than 36 hours.
The Alabama Department of Public Health recognizes four deaths in Alabama related to COVID-19, although there have been nine reported deaths through hospitals, the state and local health departments statewide.
Of the five people who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus that died since Friday morning at East Alabama Medical Center, three patients were from Chambers County and two were from Lee County.
The deaths more than double Alabama's previous coronavirus fatality count. Three deaths were reported earlier this week by the Alabama Department of Public Health in Lauderdale, Jackson and Madison counties. A fourth was reported by the Mobile County Department of Public Health, though it is not yet included in ADPH's official count. ADPH overnight recognized a death from coronavirus in Chambers County. It’s unclear if it is one of the people who died at EAMC.
The state health department has yet to release ages of victims or concrete hospitalization numbers, though some hospitals around the state have begun issuing their own and pleas for supplies.
Though Alabama was one of the last states in the United States to confirm a case of coronavirus amid testing concerns, the state has seen an exponential rise in the past week. Confirmed cases increased 116, or 18% since Saturday morning. Since Monday, confirmed cases skyrocketed more than 350%.
Montgomery County currently has 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with additional cases in surrounding counties.
Confirmed coronavirus cases by county
- Autauga (6)
- Baldwin (14)
- Blount (5)
- Bullock (3)
- Butler (1)
- Calhoun (3)
- Chambers (27)
- Cherokee (2)
- Chilton (7)
- Choctaw (1)
- Clay (2)
- Cleburne (5)
- Colbert (2)
- Coosa (2)
- Covington (2)
- Crenshaw (1)
- Cullman (7)
- Dallas (2)
- DeKalb (4)
- Elmore (13)
- Escambia (1)
- Etowah (6)
- Franklin (3)
- Greene (3)
- Houston (6)
- Jackson (5)
- Jefferson (247)
- Lamar (1)
- Lauderdale (12)
- Lawrence (3)
- Lee (59)
- Limestone (16)
- Lowndes (1)
- Madison (77)
- Marengo (4)
- Marion (10)
- Marshall (4)
- Mobile (40)
- Monroe (1)
- Montgomery (21)
- Morgan (17)
- Pickens (2)
- Pike (4)
- Randolph (2)
- Russell (1)
- St. Clair (13)
- Shelby (79)
- Talladega (4)
- Tallapoosa (8)
- Tuscaloosa (23)
- Walker (29)
- Washington (4)
- Wilcox (2)
- Winston (2)
News from Saturday
Five die in Lee County Hospital
Five people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died at an Opelika hospital since Friday morning, the East Alabama Medical Center announced Saturday evening.
Three patients were from Chambers County and two were from Lee County.
The deaths more than double Alabama's previous coronavirus fatality count. Three deaths were reported this week by the Alabama Department of Public Health. A fourth was reported by the Mobile County Department of Public Health, though it is not yet included in ADPH's official count.
EAMC said its recent fatalities are also not reflected in the statewide count, but hospital leaders felt it was important information to publicize to underscore the severity of the coronavirus situation.
“Our hospital family expresses its collective condolences to the families of these five patients,” stated Laura Grill, EAMC president and CEO. “As everyone knows, this virus has taken a toll on our nation and world, and our community is not exempt from that. Our hearts and prayers are with these families at this very difficult time.”
Grill added that “the ICU staff, respiratory therapists and physicians who worked most closely with these patients are especially struggling and we ask that the community lift them up today just as they have been lifting up our whole organization the past two weeks.”
Baptist Health discharges some coronavirus patients
Baptist Health in Montgomery announced Saturday six of its coronavirus-positive patients have been released from the hospital as of Friday, March 27.
Baptist this month established two separate COVID-19 screening sites in Montgomery and Prattville. As of Friday, staff had fielded more than 9,770 calls at both sites. More than 500 tests have been administered at both sites.
Baptist has also tested more than 250 patients hospitalized at its 3 facilities in the River Region.
31 hospitalized patients are currently considered "PUI," or patients under investigation, and are awaiting COVID-19 test results.
"We use extreme caution with inpatients to ensure we rule out every possible type of infection in hopes of cutting down on using PPE and/or exposing our team members unnecessarily," Baptist said in a press release.
State cases increase
Alabama’s confirmed coronavirus cases climbed to 644 on Saturday morning, continuing an exponential climb of the virus that’s killed four people statewide this week.
Since Monday, confirmed cases skyrocketed 286%. Since Thursday afternoon, the number of Alabamians with the virus has risen 36%.
Deaths have occurred in Lauderdale, Jackson and Madison counties in north Alabama, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. A Mobile County man also died, according to a Mobile County Department of Health release Friday.
People in 53 of Alabama’s 67 counties have tested positive for coronavirus, with most of the counties without confirmed tests in the rural Black Belt and the Wiregrass areas.
Jefferson County has 179 confirmed cases of the virus, the most in the state, while Montgomery County has verified 18 people have coronavirus. There are six Autauga County residents who have tested positive, while 12 have been confirmed to have the virus in Elmore County.
Gov. Kay Ivey ordered Friday that "non-essential" businesses must close at 5 p.m. Saturday in a widespread shutdown that will extend at least until April 17.
More:'Stay at home': What Alabama's 'non-essential' business closures mean for you
Diocese of Birmingham cancels public worship through Easter
Bishop Robert J. Baker, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, announced Friday he will extend a ban on public worship through April 18.
Baker said the diocese was compiling guidelines for the celebration of Holy Week and Easter.
"I am most grateful for the many priests who have been celebrating daily Masses privately in their churches or chapels or even streaming them on the internet, so that parishioners and others may remain connected and seek spiritual nourishment," Baker said. "I encourage our priests to continue these praiseworthy endeavors."
Prattville to enforce longstanding minor curfew
Prattville on Saturday announced it would begin enforcing a nightly curfew for minors. The curfew has long been in city code, but city leaders
“This is just another tool we have to react to the times we are in,” said Police Chief Mark Thompson. “We aren’t trying to punish anyone. But we have had a few gatherings of juveniles that are over the limit of the governor’s health order."
More:Prattville to enforce curfew for minors amid coronavirus pandemic
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Melissa Brown at 334-240-0132 or mabrown@gannett.com.