Hospitals in Montgomery, Alabama, are running critically low on beds for Intensive Care Units.
Four counties make up the Montgomery metro area. The region has seen a combined 721 confirmed coronavirus cases since May 4. The number represents an increase of 110%, according to AL.com.
“I’m concerned about the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayor Steven Reed said. “We are seeing an increase in the number of people who test positive. Occupancy in our Intensive Care Units has reached a critical point and Montgomery hospital officials are now referring some cases to Birmingham.”
Dr. David Thrasher, a critical care pulmonologist, told the news outlet: “I’m not for shutting down the city. But I want people to be careful. Wear a mask in public. Wash you hands. Don’t go into groups unless you have to.”
The number of coronavirus cases in Montgomery surged in May. As a result, the metro area was put on a White House list of locations to watch, AL.com reported.
Some of those new coronavirus cases could be explained in part by an increase in testing. But AL.com noted testing isn’t increasing at the same rate as new cases.
“Cases have grown significantly over the last week or two,” Thrasher said. “Alabama and Montgomery probably hit a peak this last weekend.”
Meanwhile, in an internal document, the state’s Department of Corrections has said the Alabama prisons are underprepared to deal with the pandemic and predicted it could result in 200 inmates dying.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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