Last updated on Sunday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. E.D.T.
Alabama has 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday (March 15), according to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). The case count rose rapidly over the weekend after the state reported its very first case on Friday (March 13).
“This is a very fast moving situation,” Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer, said in a news conference on Friday (March 13). “We are not surprised to have additional cases and we have been expecting this for some time.”
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency on Friday (March 13), and announced that all public schools would be closed for two and a half weeks starting March 19, according to local news outlet WHNT.
The state has the ability to conduct COVID-19 testing on 150 specimens each day, but health care providers also have the option of conducting tests through commercial laboratories, according to ADPH.
The state also started a toll-free hotline for people to call if they have questions about how to be tested for COVID-19. The number is 888-264-2256.
Cases by county:
- Baldwin: 1
- Elmore: 1
- Jefferson: 7
- Limestone: 1
- Montgomery: 1
- Tuscaloosa: 2
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