Déjà Vu: Two Years Later, and Coronavirus Case Levels Are Virtually the Same

 The number of new coronavirus cases a day in Alabama now is almost exactly the same as it was two years ago heading into Memorial Day.

Cases have been trending upward for more than a month, and Alabama averaged 510 new cases a day in the 7-day period that ended Friday, according to information from the Alabama Department of Public Health.

At this time in 2020, Alabama was averaging 501 cases per day. Businesses had just been allowed to reopen but still were required to meet social distancing restrictions. Cases also were trending upward then as people rejoined the world, peaking in July in the state’s first major surge.

But hospitalizations were much higher in 2020 than they are now, sitting at 607 on May 27 of that year. Friday, 125 people were hospitalized, a reflection of how vaccines and treatments have improved to help lessen the severity of the disease. But just like then, the number of hospitalizations in the state now are climbing again, after lows of fewer than 100 patients on many days in April.

The state’s positivity rate – the share of tests given that return a positive result – stood at 12.3% statewide Friday. At the beginning of the month, it was at 2.5%. In total, the state has had 1,312,437 cases since March 2020 and 19,658 deaths.

In Jefferson County, the positivity rate stands at 11.7% and the 7-day average of new cases is 109 per day. The county has had 187,510 cases since the pandemic began.

COVID community levels in all Alabama counties are rated as low. That’s information the ADPH issues as guidance for residents. Basically it recommends that people at higher risk from COVID take precautions and everyone else should keep up-to-date with vaccines and be mindful of their surroundings.

However, the community transmission levels are a different story. Those ratings are directed at health care facilities and offers guidance on infection control and prevention measures. On that map, more than half of the counties are rated substantial or high, including Jefferson and Shelby County.

Following is case information by county

County of Residence	Total Cases	Total Deaths	7-Day % Change in Cases	7-Day % Positivity in Tests	7-Day Case Rate

Autauga	15939	216	2.9	12.7	64.1
Baldwin	56329	683	35.7	15.7	109.5
Barbour	5695	99	-88.9	2.1	4.1
Bibb	6491	105	-6.7	7.1	63.2
Blount	15061	243	-48.4	10.1	27.6
Bullock	2334	54	-63.6	8.6	40.1
Butler	5083	129	80	12.9	46.1
Calhoun	32558	628	-10	11	31.7
Chambers	8535	162	-8.3	8.5	33.5
Cherokee	5149	86	100	10	38
Chilton	11158	207	18.2	9	29.3
Choctaw	2058	37	600	20	56.4
Clarke	7164	101	0	2.4	17.2
Clay	4109	82	200	15.4	45.8
Cleburne	3572	69	-100	0	0
Coffee	13732	231	-9.5	18.6	71.4
Colbert	16443	262	-2.5	16.6	70.4
Conecuh	2882	70	125	10.5	75.9
Coosa	2985	58	150	11.4	46.9
Covington	9375	232	100	13.8	27.1
Crenshaw	3846	100	-42.9	13.2	29.2
Cullman	24755	367	-2.1	1.6	55.6
Dale	13031	231	53.1	10.3	100.1
Dallas	8466	244	53.8	7.2	55.4
DeKalb	18846	330	0	7.3	22.3
Elmore	23513	347	7.3	8.5	53.6
Escambia	10113	171	-35.3	7.8	30.3
Etowah	28824	652	29.4	9.9	21.5
Fayette	4995	96	66.7	8.6	30.8
Franklin	9922	139	40	11.2	22.2
Geneva	6507	164	75	8.8	26.5
Greene	1882	49	-33.3	17.4	25
Hale	4793	106	44.4	15.9	88.6
Henry	4609	76	200	20.7	104.5
Houston	25956	506	4.2	10.5	70.4
Jackson	15101	241	28.6	8.3	52.3
Jefferson	187510	2376	8.9	11.7	115.5
Lamar	3755	65	20	4.8	43.6
Lauderdale	24316	397	55.8	12.2	71.8
Lawrence	7710	160	-33.3	11	30.4
Lee	38170	341	-19.6	14.8	68.9
Limestone	25294	295	10.2	17.6	94.9
Lowndes	2635	77	33.3	2.9	41.5
Macon	3921	85	-47.8	10.3	67.1
Madison	91386	971	0	18.3	112.5
Marengo	5214	108	1600	15.3	90.7
Marion	8215	152	43.5	6.3	111.1
Marshall	27524	394	22.2	11.5	45.4
Mobile	113582	1656	8.9	10.7	47.5
Monroe	5287	80	350	3.2	44
Montgomery	55771	953	8	18	96.2
Morgan	36321	518	-10.5	7	56.7
Perry	2098	47	-100	0	0
Pickens	5278	103	300	6.4	20.2
Pike	7610	134	-22.2	5.6	21.2
Randolph	5087	75	0	10.2	21.8
Russell	10184	95	-20.6	12	46.4
Shelby	61761	453	7.3	16.2	106.6
St. Clair	25541	416	66	16.8	91.5
Sumter	2614	52	-73.3	10.5	32.7
Talladega	22498	377	22.5	16.4	61.3
Tallapoosa	11480	234	-69.6	3.6	17.4
Tuscaloosa	56795	788	8.8	10.6	64.5
Walker	18827	447	70	5.3	53.8
Washington	3749	59	-28.6	1	31.3
Wilcox	2901	46	0	3	19.6
Winston	7592	131	-12.5	3.6	29.8

Cases: 1312437

Deaths: 19658

https://birminghamwatch.org/deja-vu-two-years-later-and-coronavirus-case-levels-are-just-the-same/