MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Health officials say they are cautiously optimistic that Alabama is seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases, but warned that the number of cases will likely rise as students return to campus this month.
The reported number of daily COVID-19 cases this week fell to under 1,000. The state was reporting as many as 2,000 new cases per day last week. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide order in mid-July requiring face coverings in public.
“I do think we may have flattened a little bit,” State Health Officer Scott Harris said. “We’re sort of cautiously optimistic that the July Fourth surge has peaked,” he added, referring to the holiday when many people attended gatherings.
Dr. Don Williamson, the former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association, said Alabama appears to be seeing an improvement in its numbers. But he said the state also may be reporting fewer cases because of less testing. He said local hospitals are telling him that the number of people being tested is declining “because of the frustration of the waiting time.”
The Alabama Department of Public Health said last week that people are having to wait a week to get test results.