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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's official death toll from the coronavirus rose to 13 Tuesday but the state is investigating others.
The Alabama Department of Public Health said Tuesday that it will begin including information on reported deaths from coronavirus in numbers released on its website. The state said on Tuesday there have been 18 reported deaths of people who died after testing positive for COVID-19. The state has confirmed 13 of those as being caused by coronavirus.
The state has a process for reviewing deaths before adding them to the official count. The Department of Public Health said a department physician reviews the records of COVID-19 patients to determine whether a death should be attributed to the virus.
The East Alabama Medical Center, a hospital in Opelika, has reported seven deaths.
Total COVID-19 infections in Alabama stood at 951 on Tuesday morning, the state Department of Public Health reported.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday urged people to remain at home if they can.
"These are uncertain times for sure. So now, and for the foreseeable future, please, please consider staying safe at home," Ivey said in a video message released by her office.
The state has ordered the closures of non-essential businesses such as gyms, barber shops, theaters, casinos, bookstores, department stores, clothing stores and nail salons. Grocery stores, restaurants offering take-out and manufacturing plants are not included.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks, and the overwhelming majority of people recover. But severe cases can need respirators to survive, and with infections spreading exponentially, hospitals across the country are either bracing for a coming wave of patients, or already struggling to keep up.