Alabama’s positive COVID-19 cases are climbing right before Thanksgiving

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Alabama tested almost 100,000 people for COVID-19 in the past two weeks with nearly 21,000 people testing positive, per the state dashboard.

To put that in context, the ideal range is 5% of all tests coming back positive, and our numbers right now are almost four times that.

The percent positivity rate is so important because it gives insight into the rate of community spread, or the people who have the virus and are sharing it with people who live in a certain area, like in Jefferson County.

For instance, if 5 people at your office tested positive and you only work with 20 people, you’d know there’s an issue in the office.

It’s the same with Alabama right now, and health officials are alarmed.

“Put another way - our number of cases per day on average has doubled since a month ago, from about 100 cases a day to about 200 cases a day in Jefferson County,” said Dr. Scott Harris, Jefferson County’s health officer.

The advice is consistent - gathering is dangerous, and masks are your first line of defense.

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