September 22, 2020 - 20% of Stadium Capacity
20% of Stadium Capacity
September 22, 2020
This is the third consecutive day that Alabama’s statewide data for cases, tests, hospitalizations and positivity rate have been in a very tight range. Our 804 cases today (incl. 221 probables) compare to 798 and 818 on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Our 6,036 tests compare to 5,595 and 5,500 for those days. Our 796 current statewide hospitalizations compare to 780 and 802 for those same days. And finally, our 13.62% weekly positivity rate compares to 13.75% and 13.64%. It is truly remarkable how level the data have been for all four categories during the last three days.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 6,906,100 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 200,400 have died, according to a New York Times database. Unlike Alabama, which has experienced a level trend in cases for quite some time, 27 states and Puerto Rico have shown an increase in the 7-day average of new cases since the final week of August. There is particular concern in Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Utah, which all set record highs on Monday for 7-day case averages. Some public health experts believe we are seeing the start of an autumn surge in these cooler states.
College football in the South officially begins next Saturday. The absence of strict standardized COVID-19 protocols from the NCAA has led to varying responses from the ACC, Big 12, SEC and Big Ten conferences. Although the SEC will require its members to test its players a minimum of 3 times weekly, Coach Nick Saban has stated that Tide players will be tested daily. Meanwhile, Alabama and Auburn will limit attendance at home games to 20% of stadium capacity and will ban tailgating. No one really knows whether these actions, among others, will succeed in keeping the coronavirus in check on college campuses in the weeks ahead. The totals:
9/9 - 811
9/10 - 1,148
9/11 - 1,138
9/12 - 943
9/13 - 1,109
9/14 - 704
9/15 - 701
9/16 - 927
9/17 - 670
9/18 - 1,106
9/19 - 1,301
9/20 - 798
9/21 - 818
9/22 - 804
The big three counties - Jefferson (107), Mobile (70) and Madison (45) - led the State, in that order, in new reported cases. It is surprisingly unusual to see these three counties line up in the same order of their respective populations.