Presented by

Alabama’s Locally-Owned Health Mart Community Pharmacies

 

 

 

 

1. Black Alabamians more impacted

• More than 40% of the COVID-19 deaths in Alabama have been in African Americans even though about a fourth of the state’s population is black, data released by state health officials showed Tuesday.
• The Alabama Department of Public Health released demographic data on confirmed infections and deaths on the impact of the global pandemic in the state.
• Of 39 verified deaths in the state, 17 were in African American patients and 17 were white. The remaining five were Asian or unknown. The state is investigating additional deaths reported in COVID-19 patients but have not confirmed those fatalities yet.
• There were lesser racial disparities in the infections, according to the data. It showed whites represented almost half of all cases, while blacks represented 36.6%. The population of Alabama is 26% black.
• There has been limited demographic data nationally so far on COVID-19 patients.
• As of this morning, Alabama had a total of 2,197 confirmed COVID-19 infections, with 64 deaths, 39 of which had been confirmed to be from the virus. A total of 271 patients have been hospitalized throughout the state since March 13.
• Read more from Kim Chandler HERE.

 

2. Grocery stores serve essential need

• Grocery stores are implementing new safety measures and limiting the number of people inside their stores in an effort to keep employees and customers safe from the novel coronavirus.
• Part of Gov. Kay Ivey’s stay-at-home order issued on Friday included limiting the maximum occupancy of essential retailers to no more than 50% their normal capacity. Stores are also asked to maintain proper social distancing guidelines for customers and comply with sanitation guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The City of Montgomery last week attempted to implement stricter rules before the statewide order was put in place, limiting the number of customers in a store to 10 or fewer. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement saying the city’s interpretation of the March 27 health order was incorrect and the 10-person rule was unenforceable.
• Now grocery stores across the state are implementing social distancing guidelines to help protect both shoppers and workers.
• Ellie Taylor, president of the Alabama Grocers Association, said the group’s members support the capacity control measures.
• “The 50% maximum capacity will help us keep the numbers under control and maintain the safety of our other customers and our employees,” Taylor told Alabama Daily News.
• Read the full story from ADN’s Caroline Beck HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

A message from

Alabama’s Locally-Owned Health Mart Community Pharmacies

• Alabama’s community pharmacists are more than just the friendly faces that fill your prescriptions every month; they are an essential link in the healthcare chain.

• In rural areas, community pharmacists are often the first – and sometimes the only – healthcare contact for residents in a community.

• In addition to keeping Alabama communities healthy by filling prescriptions, most of the APCI network of community pharmacies provide vital healthcare services such as immunizations, clinical testing, and medication counseling.

• We appreciate the pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy staff members – your friends and neighbors – in our locally-owned pharmacies who go above and beyond to safely meet the healthcare needs of Alabamians during this unprecedented time.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Trump blasts WHO

• President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to freeze U.S. funding to the World Health Organization, saying the international group had “missed the call” on the coronavirus pandemic.
• Trump also played down the release of January memos from a senior adviser that represented an early warning of a possible coronavirus pandemic, saying he had not seen them at the time. But he turned his anger on the WHO, first declaring that he would cut off U.S. funding for the organization, then backtracking and saying he would “strongly consider” such a move.
• Trump said the international group had “called it wrong” on the virus and that the organization was “very China-centric” in its approach, suggesting that the WHO had gone along with Beijing’s efforts months ago to minimize the severity of the outbreak. The WHO has praised China for its transparency on the virus, even though there has been reason to believe that more people died of COVID-19 than the country’s official tally.
• “They should have known and they probably did know,” Trump said of WHO officials.
• Full story HERE.

 

4. Census slacker? You’ve got mail.

• If you’re a census slacker and haven’t yet filled out the form for the 2020 head count, the federal government is trying another way to get in touch with you.
• Starting today, the U.S. Census Bureau is mailing out paper forms to 65.6 million homes whose residents haven’t yet answered the once-a-decade questionnaire.
• Most U.S. residents started getting notices about a month ago that they could respond online or by phone. But about 20% of households automatically received a paper questionnaire, either because their area lacks consistent internet connectivity or their neighborhood has a high percentage of people over age 65.
• Now the rest of the nation, at least those households that haven’t responded, are getting paper questionnaires.
• About a month into the start of the 2020 census for most U.S. residents, the self-response rate is approaching half of all households, with most responding online. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa and Virginia are setting the pace with response rates over 50%.
• Of course they are. Beware of Virginia as they are known for double dribbling.
• But in other states — Alaska, West Virginia and New Mexico — only between a quarter and a third of households have responded.
• The Census Bureau’s suspension of field operations between mid-March and mid-April due to the spread of the new coronavirus may be affecting response rates.
• COMPLETE YOUR CENSUS FORM IT’S NOT HARD.
• Full story HERE.

5. News Briefs

Dr. Birx: Stick to guidelines, avoid 2nd wave in US

• WASHINGTON — A leader of the White House’s coronavirus response team is warning there could be another wave of U.S. infections if people don’t stick with the health guidelines recommending they stay indoors and avoid social interactions.
• Dr. Deborah Birx says “if people start going out again, socially interacting, we could see a very acute second wave very early.”
• Birx told NBC’s “Today” show she’s “hopeful” the United States will have fewer than the projected 100,000 to 240,000 deaths. She says people have been following the 30-day recommendations to stay at least 6 feet away from others, wash their hands regularly with soap and water, use hand sanitizer and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
• But she says what’s “really important” is people “don’t turn these early signs of hope into releasing from the 30 days to stop the spread.”
• There have been about 400,000 U.S. cases and about 13,000 deaths.

Sheriff: 3 charged with murder of man found in shallow grave

• GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Three people were arrested Tuesday in connection to the killing of an Alabama man, whose body was found in a shallow grave, authorities said.
• Dale McKee, 33, Aprille Smith, 26, and Dylan Smith, 28, were charged Tuesday with murder in the death of 35-year-old Mark Wayne Motley Jr., news outlets reported.
• Marshall County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Steve Guthrie said Motley was killed by blunt force trauma. His body was found in a shallow grave Monday afternoon in the Asbury community, Guthrie said.
• Guthrie declined to comment on a suspected motive for the slaying but said Motley, McKee, Aprille Smith and Dylan Smith were acquaintances.
• The investigation was ongoing.
• It’s unclear whether the trio have attorneys who could comment on their behalf.

Coroner searches for family of man found dead in back yard

• BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Authorities in Alabama have asked for the public’s help in finding family members of a man who was found dead in a back yard.
• Adrian K. Anders, 48, was found unresponsive in the back yard of a home on March 26, news outlets reported.
• Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said Anders was later taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital where he was officially pronounced dead. An autopsy was performed but a cause of death has not yet been determined.
• Yates said there was no sign of foul play. Yates also said efforts to find Anders’ family were unsuccessful. His office is asking for the public’s help in finding Anders’ relatives.
• Anyone with information can call the coroner’s office.

Mother of 5-year-old found dead pleads not guilty to abuse

• JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a 5-year-old girl found dead in Alabama last year pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to child abuse and other charges in the case.
• Brianna Williams, 27, was arraigned via videoconference before a judge in Duval County, Florida, on charges of child neglect, aggravated child abuse, providing false information to police and tampering with evidence, news outlets reported.
• She initially told police that her daughter, Taylor Rose Williams, went missing the night of Nov. 6 from their Jacksonville home, but the woman stopped cooperating with detectives after being questioned about inconsistencies in her account, investigators said.
• The search for the child took officials to Demopolis, Alabama, where Brianna Williams grew up, and remains later identified as Taylor’s were found in a wooded area near the city on Nov. 12, 2019.
• Police documents previously revealed the girl last attended day care in April 2019, months before she was reported missing, and the child’s grandparents said they had not seen her in more than a year.

 

 

 

A message from

The Alabama Department of Archives & History

• Explore Alabama’s history from the comfort of your couch!

• With schools and businesses closed and social distancing required, the Archives has launched a new website, www.alabamahistoryhome.org. It features links to free resources from more than twenty organizations across the state.

• The site includes links to virtual tours and exhibits, recorded public programs, documentaries, educational materials, digital collections, research databases, publications, and more. New content is added frequently.

• Alabama History@Home helps make staying home and protecting our communities a little easier.

 

 

 

 

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