Alabama’s coronavirus numbers were largely stable over the last week, as observers brace to see if the holiday weekend had an impact on the state’s virus statistics.
Friday, September 11, comes only four days after the conclusion of the Labor Day holiday weekend, which many experts warned could cause increased transmission of the virus.
Due to the delays between when infected individuals first show symptoms, and the further delays before those getting a coronavirus test receive their results, it is too soon to say whether the holiday did or did not create a new surge in cases.
After both Memorial Day and the July 4 holiday weekends, cases began climbing immediately. However, on both of those occasions, cases had been on an upwards trajectory already.
When Yellowhammer News last provided an update one week ago, Alabama was averaging 830 laboratory-confirmed cases per day. As of Friday morning, the state is averaging 687 per day, a 23% decrease.
In terms of new cases per 100,000 people, Alabama remains eighth-highest among the American states and territories.
When including probable cases, which include all of the positive results from rapid-testing devices, the number of new cases is higher but still remains down on a week-to-week basis.
Yellowhammer News included a more detailed explanation of the differences in confirmed new cases and “probable” new cases here.
Over the last week, 89 Alabamians per day have been hospitalized with COVID-19, an average that has stayed in about the same place since the beginning of September.
Both new cases and hospitalizations remain far down from their peaks in mid to late July.
Especially worrying to experts is that the percent of coronavirus tests in Alabama coming back positive is 12.33%, which though down from 14.79% last week, is still far up from a low of 6.42% on August 20.
Health officials say the range in positivity percentage for the virus to be considered under control is 1-5%.
Sixty-one of 67, or 91%, counties in Alabama reported a new case of COVID-19 on Friday morning, indicating the coronavirus transmission remains widespread throughout the state.
Around the same number of counties have reported a new case each day since early August.
An average of nine people who had COVID-19 died each day in Alabama over the last week, the lowest average since the week ending August 19.
Alabama’s total death toll from the coronavirus stands at 2,204 individuals, with another 129 that are likely but have not yet been confirmed by investigators at the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
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