March 3, 2021
There were 2,733 cases reported today (incl. 381 probables) and 9,605 tests. ADPH noted that today’s case count includes “a backlog of 2114 positive PCR results from a facility … even though the tests were performed since May 2020.” No word on whether today’s test count also includes the tests that produced the backlogged positive cases. Therefore, it is clear that the daily case count is lower than it appears but it’s impossible to say how much better. BamaTracker says the 7-day moving average of positivity is 18%.
With 38 more reported deaths, Alabama became the 16th state to officially top 10,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The State barely trails North Carolina (11,363) in total deaths and leads Louisiana (9,668), according to that metric. On a per capita basis, Alabama ranks 10th in the nation with 204.5 deaths per 100K population, trailing (in descending order) NJ; NY; RI; MA; MS; AZ; CT; SD; and LA.
If Alabama were a country, it would trail only Gibraltar and San Marino (both with 33,000 total populations) in per capita deaths. Alabama’s per capita death rate is 13% higher than the U.K., 25% higher than Italy, and 28% higher than the U.S. national average. I point this out not to embarrass Alabama, the home of my family for generations, but to motivate our leaders to consider what may happen if they follow Texas and Mississippi by lifting all public health precautions. Too many fellow Alabamians have died for our leaders to eliminate all safeguards, thereby repeating the mistakes of the past.
Yes, it’s true we have made progress and we can now see the finish line. Over 1 million doses of vaccine have been administered in Alabama to date. Approximately 14% of our population has received one dose and 7% of the population is now fully vaccinated. President Biden announced yesterday that there will be enough vaccines by the end of May to accommodate everybody who wants to be protected.
Nevertheless, those who are not yet vaccinated remain vulnerable to more contagious variants. At least 2,500 cases of the U.K. strain have been confirmed in at least 46 states, including Alabama, and it is 50% more infectious than the original virus. Scientists are also alarmed by the South Africa variant because it is better at evading antibodies produced in response to current vaccines. That variant has been detected in at least 17 states, according to the CDC. The Brazil variant has been spotted in 5 states and has demonstrated the ability to reinfect people. Other variants originating in California and New York City have shown some of the same properties as the U.K. and South Africa varieties.
Governor Ivey is expected to make an announcement before Friday about whether to extend the State's mask mandate and health order or let them expire. Before she takes this action, it would be advisable to consider those 10,029 Alabamians who have succumbed so far. Here is the Governor’s contact info: https://governor.alabama.gov/contact/?fbclid=IwAR3YN11RQ_NeWSjCPjoE-qkLOFFCwEYtUlVLLFcml564gWMc4AfceQZM2iI. Totals:
2/16 - 883
2/17 - 679
2/18 - 1198
2/19 - 847
2/20 - 774
2/21 - 857
2/22 - 677
2/23 - 1453
2/24 - 1247
2/25 - 890
2/26 - 739
2/27 - 834
3/2 - 652
3/3 - 2733