December 19, 2020 - Vaccines and School Data
Vaccines and School Data
December 19, 2020
In what could be a prelude to the next two days, the number of new reported cases in Alabama declined from 5,348 to 4,221 (incl. 1,266 probables). ADPH’s reports to be issued tomorrow and Monday will reflect data collected today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday), which are typically light-reporting days. Any further declines shown in those reports will likely be temporary.
There were 10,678 reported tests, fewer than average, and the positivity rate for the day was 39.55%, almost matching Alabama’s 7-day average positivity rate reported yesterday by Johns Hopkins (39.4%). https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/testing-positivity. There were also 93 more deaths, which shatters Alabama’s prior single-day record. Over the last 5 days, on average, 57 Alabamians have died each day, another grim record.
There are now 2,318 confirmed COVID patients in 95 reporting hospitals, compared to 2,447 in 108 hospitals yesterday. The average per hospital is 24.4, the highest since the pandemic began. Huntsville Hospital reported a record 460 patients at its hospitals, while DCH reported a record 155 patients at its facility in Tuscaloosa. UAB Hospital announced that more than 120 undergraduate, graduate and faculty members at the UAB School of Nursing are receiving training and will join frontline health care workers who have been caring for COVID patients since the start of the pandemic.
The weekly COVID data for public schools (K-12) were updated Friday afternoon with 95.8% voluntary compliance. School districts reported that 3,352 more students and staff tested positive statewide for the week, and those with the most cases include (1) Jefferson County (190, up from 188 last week); Tuscaloosa County (152, up from 123); Mobile County (125, up from 72); Baldwin County (124, up from 72); and St. Clair County (95, down from 160).
The suburban school districts in Jefferson County all reported more cases than the week before. They include Hoover (65, up from 57); Mtn Brook (57, up from 27); Trussville (57, up from 47); Vestavia Hills (34, up from 21); and Homewood (29, up from 22). Adjusted for combined student enrollment plus teachers/staff, the districts rank as follows: Mtn Brook - 11.52 per 1,000 students/employees; Trussville - 10.93 per 1,000; Homewood - 5.95 per 1,000; Jefferson County 4.66 per 1,000; Vestavia Hills - 4.28 per 1,000; and Hoover - 4.09 per 1,000. An earlier version compared COVID cases to student enrollment. The current version compares COVID cases to student enrollment plus teachers and staff. This change resulted in lower ratios for every district but did not change the overall ranking.
The State received 40,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week and administered 4,489 of them by Friday. Officials were advised to expect 29,250 more Pfizer doses next week, which is 20,000 fewer than originally allocated. Alabama will also receive the first shipment of 83,400 doses of Moderna vaccine next week following FDA approval.The list of hospitals for the Moderna vaccine has not yet been disclosed but is expected to include more than the 15 hospitals that received the Pfizer vaccine. The totals:
12/6 - 2288
12/7 - 2335
12/8 - 4436
12/9 - 3522
12/10 - 4735
12/11 - 3853
12/12 - 4066
12/13 - 2790
12/14 - 2264
12/15 - 3638
12/16 - 4107
12/17 - 4695
12/18 - 5348
12/19 - 4221
Jefferson had 818 cases today and Madison County had 308 cases. Of the State’s 67 counties, 65 have 14-day positivity rates above 20%, 52 above 30%, 25 above 40%, 9 above 50% and 1 (Marion County) above 60%.