As he warned about the coronavirus likely hitting Alabama in the coming days, Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris recommended Alabamians do not gather in groups of 500 or more people to help stop the potential spread of the disease.
“We currently do not have any cases of COVID-19 in our state,” said Harris, the head of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), during a press conference on Thursday evening.
He added, “[W]e fully expect in the coming days we will find cases.”
He continued to say the state is not recommending that schools or businesses close at this time, advising that practicing social distancing — staying a few feet away from the people around you — is even more important than the size of a crowd.
Alabama’s health officer said that if someone thinks they have contracted the coronavirus, the first thing they should do is call their doctor and talk about their symptoms so the doctor can make the call on whether or not a test is appropriate.
Alabama is one of five states in the United States that still has zero confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
“I don’t think there is any doubt we have the disease circulating to some degree, or at least isolated cases,” commented Harris.
He asked Alabama to think hard about whether any planned out-of-state travel was necessary.
As of Thursday, the University of Alabama System, Auburn University and Samford University are all moving to online classes to help prevent further spread of the disease.
Harris commented that the total number of people tested by the ADPH was “something less than 50,” and when asked for reasons why, he said the total number of people the ADPH deemed deserving of a test was fairly small.
An Alabamian who gets tested for coronavirus will get their results back in 24-72 hours, Harris said during the press conference. He added the state lab his department oversees is currently working seven days a week and does not charge for coronavirus testing.
According to Harris, the ADPH can run 150 tests per day, and they could ship samples to private labs if the demand exceeds that number.
Harris said the resources appropriated Thursday by the legislature and signed into law by the governor will let the ADPH expand the sites where they can screen for tests, and screening locations should be available soon in areas across the state.
UPDATE Friday 10:00 a.m.
Alabama has its first confirmed case of coronavirus in Montgomery County. Read more here.
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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