August 15, 2020 - Compliance is Crucial
Compliance is Crucial
August 15, 2020
The four-day streak of sub-1,000 cases came to an end today, as ADPH reported 1,271 cases (incl. 110 probables). The 7-day average of new cases is now 1,051 and the positivity rate stands at 9.65%, which is better than about 10 states, all of which are located in the South or West. There were also 4 deaths (incl. 1 probable) and 11,923 tests performed.
In an interview with al.com, Dr. Karen Landers of ADPH stated that the test results from approximately 165,000 returning college students will be combined with the test results from the general population. She also said that results from the 30,000 tests done so far have not yet been taken into account and that only 0.83% of those preliminary tests came back positive. Out-of-state students’ results will be allocated to their state of residence while in-state students’ results will likely be allocated to their county of residence.
Because of the lower positivity rate of returning students, we can anticipate that the State’s overall positivity rate will continue to decline. Dr. Saag acknowledged that the new data will dilute the State’s other data but he said he is not concerned about such dilution from a public health perspective.
Dr. Landers credited increased compliance with the mask order for recent improvements in the State’s data. Dr. Mark Wilson agreed, saying Friday that he expects the mask order to remain in effect for several months through the winter flu season. Both Dr. Landers and Dr. Wilson emphasized that the recent progress is fragile, so continued vigilance is essential.
It is interesting that Alabama’s recent improvement has outpaced the experience of a few neighboring states like Texas, Florida and Georgia. Unlike the governors of those states, Gov. Ivey has been supportive of the efforts of her public health advisers. Her mask ordinance, though not exactly mandatory, has clearly been helpful. Special kudos to groups (like MaskUpJeffersonCounty) and others that have worked to establish a culture and expectation of compliance with mask-wearing in the face of opposition elsewhere. To quote Dr. Landers, “The order is important but compliance is key.” Now, for the numbers:
8/1 - 1,646
8/2 - 2,095
8/3 - 1,217
8/4 - 1,041
8/5 - 952
8/6 - 1,938
8/7 - 1,709
8/8 - 1,872
8/9 - 1,161
8/10 - 1,686
8/11 - 831
8/12 - 935
8/13 - 771
8/14 - 700
8/15 - 1,271
Jefferson (223) and Mobile (125) led the way, while Madison (80) saw a slight uptick in its cases.