7 Things: Alabama’s coronavirus numbers still declining, contact tracing app launched for Alabamians, disjointed DNC kicks off as Trump closes gap and more …

7. New coronavirus test cleared by FDA

• The same saliva test that’s used for NBA players and was partially funded by the NBA and NBA Players Association has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, and it’s likely that the new coronavirus test could be available to the public in the coming weeks.
• The saliva test would be cheaper, can be processed faster with results ready within about three hours, and is less invasive than the current nasal swab.

6. Governor Kay Ivey shares a back to school message

• With many students across the state going back to school, Governor Kay Ivey has released a video statement encouraging students and school staff to keep taking precautions so schools can remain safe.
• Ivey said, “We’re all in this together, no matter if you’re in the classroom, learning from home or doing a mix of the two.” She added that even though things are different this year and there are more “challenges and changes … the goal remains the same: to provide a safe learning environment for quality education.”

5. Biden is a “Trojan horse”

• As the Democratic National Convention kicked off, President Donald Trump released remarks on former Vice President Joe Biden and running mate U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), calling Biden a “Trojan horse for socialism.”
• Trump went on to say that the 2020 general election in November is “the most important election we’ve ever had.” He added that Biden “has no clue” that he’s being used for socialism, and even went so far as to call him a “puppet of left-wing extremists trying to erase our borders, eliminate our police, indoctrinate our children, vilify our heroes, take away our energy.”

4. Biden’s lead is narrowing

• A recent poll released by ABC News-Washington Post shows that currently among registered voters, former Vice President Joe Biden is leading with 53% while President Donald Trump is polling at 41%, but that lead has narrowed from previous polls taken in July and June.
• Although, with likely voters, Biden only carries support of 54% with Trump at 44%, but enthusiasm for Trump is at 65% and Biden is at 48%.

3. Democrats seemed confused as to who they are

• In an attempt to appeal to middle America and moderates, the Democratic National Convention spent part of night one using celebrities to interview ordinary Americans, disillusioned Republicans to tout how “disappointing” and “disturbing” President Trump has been, and even former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich highlighted how America was at a “crossroad” and how the GOP must abandon Trump.
• In the middle of all the talk of moderation, socialist U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) declared that his revolution had won the day and said that the Democratic Party has adopted his vision for America, saying, “Many of the ideas we fought for, that just a few years ago were considered radical, are now mainstream.”

2. Contact tracing app launched

• The GuideSafe Exposure Notification App, which was previously only available to college students throughout the state, has been made available to the public as a way for people to be notified if they’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or to report if they’ve tested positive.
• The app won’t track your location or identify you and it’s not meant to replace the current contact tracing that the Alabama Department of Public Heath currently does. It’s just to help in the process of notifying people if they’ve been exposed.

1. Improvements in Alabama with coronavirus cases

• The University of Alabama has released updated numbers from the students that have been tested for the coronavirus, showing 25,948 students have been tested and 237 were positive, meaning that only 0.91% of tests were positive.
• As coronavirus cases improve across the state (and the country), Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle is highlighting how Madison County is doing while Huntsville Hospital CEO David Spillers is urging caution in the upcoming holiday weekend with Labor Day, advising, “Every holiday has created additional cases about two weeks following the holiday since this started.”