“In time of war, send me all the Alabamians you can get!” U.S. Army General Edward H. Plummer once exclaimed.
As he continues to lead a war against the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump must have had Plummer’s call in mind when he assembled his team to confront the economic fallout from the crisis.
First, the latest numbers.
As of 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. In the last 24 hours, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, there have been 150 new cases of COVID-19 after 4,564 new tests were conducted. There have been 11 reported deaths and 36 new hospitalizations in the same time period.
The Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups. Those are the groups of business and thought leaders assembled by Trump to “work together with the White House to chart the path forward toward a future of unparalleled American prosperity,” according to a statement from the White House yesterday.
Among those named by the president to serve are five Alabama natives, as well as one University of Alabama graduate:
Tim Cook, CEO, Apple
Mark Crosswhite, chairman, president and CEO, Alabama Power
Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO, Lockheed Martin
Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State
Wayne Smith, chairman and CEO, Community Health Systems
Lee Styslinger, III, chairman and CEO, Altec
Small business update. Early totals for economic stimulus funds awarded to Alabama small businesses began rolling in yesterday afternoon. The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it had approved 19,244 relief loans, totaling nearly $4 billion. Alabama now ranks in the top half of states for SBA loans received. It ranks 21st in the number of loans provided and 22nd in the total value of loans issued.
AL is already feeling the impact of the #PaycheckProtectionProgram: as of last night, 19,244 loans have been approved amounting to $3,819,600,518. Proud of the work @SBAgov, @USTreasury, & the Administration are doing to help combat the #COVID19 crisis in #AL & across the nation.
— Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) April 15, 2020
Twenty-two days. That’s the length of COVID-19 patient Bill Chambers’ stay at UAB Hospital. Chambers was discharged Tuesday to much-deserved fanfare. On Monday, UAB announced that it now had less than 40 COVID-19 patients at its inpatient facility.
Bill Chambers, the first COVID-19 positive patient to be discharged by the UAB MICU, just ended his 22-day stay here. And of course, we had to celebrate! ? Bill, we wish you well.
Thank you to our staff who work so hard to provide the best care! pic.twitter.com/YUJfpI8S8C
— UAB Medicine (@uabmedicine) April 14, 2020
Tim Howe is an owner of Yellowhammer Multimedia
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