COVID-19 case, vaccine update: Feb. 19; statewide hospitalizations dip below 1,000

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Statewide hospitalizations (ADPH)

Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 COVID-19 update from the Alabama Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Dashboard Hub (https://bit.ly/3iVJwXK)

Case details

  • Total confirmed cases in AL: 380,594 (+799 since yesterday)
  • Probable cases in AL: 104,618 (+48 since yesterday)  
  • Total confirmed deaths in AL: 7,514 (+123 since yesterday)         
  • Probable deaths in AL: 2,059
  • Total confirmed cases in Cullman Co.: 6,000 (-1 since yesterday)
  • Probable cases in Cullman Co.: 2,816 (+4 since yesterday)
  • Total confirmed deaths in Cullman Co.: 113 (+3 since yesterday)
  • Probable deaths in Cullman Co.: 62
  • Total tested in Cullman Co.: 36,483
  • Total tested in the last 14 days in Cullman Co.: 2,934
  • Cases in the last 14 days in Cullman Co.: 132
  • Total tested in Alabama: 2,248,455
  • Cases in the last 14 days in Alabama: 16,731
  • Total tested in the last 14 days in Alabama: 176,234
  • Currently hospitalized in Alabama: 951
  • Cumulative no. of hospitalizations in Alabama (reported M-F): 44,767
  • Presumed recoveries in Alabama (reported weekly): 275,245

 

Vaccine details (updated Monday-Friday)

  • Doses delivered to Alabama: 1,032,175
  • Doses delivered to Alabama providers: 923,975
  • Doses administered: 717,477
  • Number of people receiving one or more doses: 530,021
  • Number of people who have completed vaccine series: 186,578
  • Doses delivered to federal Long-Term Care Program: 108,200
  • Doses administered by the federal Long-Term Care Program: 67,436

Alabamians in Phases 1a and 1b, as well as people older than 65, are eligible to receive a vaccine.  

View the Alabama COVID-19 Vaccination Allocation Plan at: www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19vaccine/assets/adph-covid19-vaccination-allocation-plan.pdf 

Daily update from ADPH

COVID-19 cases
More than 480,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Alabama, and Alabama’s case fatality rate is more than 1.9%. During the past 2 weeks, COVID-19 numbers have trended downward, and hospitalization rates are one-third of what they were a month earlier. Alabama’s percent positivity of 11.3% is its lowest since Nov. 1. Slightly more than 10% of Alabamians have received a first-dose vaccination and about 10% have been infected with COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination update
During the week of Feb. 7-13, more than 150,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in Alabama, and state providers are administering vaccine as quickly as possible. While the State expects to receive more than 90,0000 vaccine doses the week of Feb. 21-27, there is still a relative lack of vaccine for providers.

Race and ethnicity demographics
At this time, 54.9% of vaccine has gone to white persons, 11.7% to African Americans, and the race and ethnicity of 31.6% of persons are unknown or not reported. About 25% of the state’s residents are African American. As expansion continues, ADPH hopes to rectify racial and ethnic disparities by offering walk-in clinics in close proximity to low-income neighborhoods and providing mobile vaccination sites for rural areas. Other strategies include targeted efforts to dispel vaccination myths among African Americans, offering transportation to vaccination sites, and vaccinating homebound individuals in congregate settings or homes. Demographic information is available on the vaccine distribution dashboard, that can be accessed here arcg.is/0brSGj

UK variant – B.1.1.7
ADPH is partnering with several private and commercial laboratories in the state to expand its ability to identify COVID-19 strains that are known to be more transmissible. To date, 8 variant strain cases of the highly transmissible COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant have been identified in Alabama residents, but only a couple of the cases had out-of-state travel prior to illness onset which indicates this variant strain is already circulating in Alabama. Cases were identified in residents of Autauga, Jefferson, Madison, Mobile and Montgomery counties. The cases that have been identified correspond with the counties where a small portion of laboratories are collecting specimens for sequencing, so there is much yet to be determined about the variant’s spread. The variant was first identified in the United Kingdom.

COVID-19 vaccine appointments that are no longer needed should be canceled
Please be considerate of others and cancel your scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment if you cannot make it or have received your vaccine elsewhere. This helps ensure that other people have access to appointments.

Second dose large-scale mass vaccination clinics to be held in March
Eight large-scale mass vaccination clinics took place throughout the state February 8-12, with more than 70,000 first doses given out. Clinics were located in Anniston, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma and Tuscaloosa.  Attendees will return to the same locations in March to receive their second dose. Additional information will be provided soon.

COVID-19 vaccine delayed second doses due to inclement weather
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that if a delay occurs in the normal schedule for receiving a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. ADPH will assure the opportunity for people to get their second dose over the next 2 weeks, including providing extended clinic hours as staffing availability permits. ADPH is pleased that there was no loss of vaccine in Alabama due to the inclement weather.

Volunteers supporting ADPH for vaccine distribution
As of today, ADPH has 455 medical volunteers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, dentists, and LPNs, verified to support COVID-19 clinical activities. Please email requests to volunteer to Thresa.Dix@adph.state.al.us, and include your discipline, license number and county in which you would like to volunteer.

Be aware that vaccine shortages remain
Many county health departments are no longer offering first doses of COVID-19 vaccines and are currently administering only second doses to those people at highest risk and whose shots are already scheduled. This is due to the limited supply of vaccine. Please be patient and wait to schedule your own vaccination appointment if you have no underlying health issues or have limited contact with other people. Showing consideration for others will allow your neighbors who may be at higher risk to schedule their COVID-19 vaccinations.

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Feb. 19, 2021 Cullman County COVID-19 update from Bama Tracker
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Wendy Sack

wendy@cullmantribune.com