Outbreak Alabama: Cases are surging in Tuscaloosa

Listen to “Outbreak Alabama: Stories from a Pandemic,” above.

Today, we hear from AL.com reporters Sarah Whites-Koditscheck and Dennis Pillion. They, along with Ramsey Archibald, recently reported on Tuscaloosa’s spike in coronavirus cases, which had more than doubled as of last Friday afternoon.

With the surge, Tuscaloosa joins a handful of Alabama counties witnessing rapid rise in the second half of May. State officials say the sudden rise comes in large part because of “institutional settings” like nursing homes and jails.

As of Saturday, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, there were 738 confirmed cases in Tuscaloosa County, with 14 deaths and 10,735 people tested.

I spoke to Sarah and Dennis about the spike in Tuscaloosa, what the city’s hospitals will do if they run out of ICU beds and what Mayor Walt Maddox said he will do if numbers keep going up.

“Outbreak Alabama” will release two or three episodes per week, chronicling the experiences of those directly impacted by COVID-19′s spread, including health care professionals, business owners, city leaders, artists, AL.com reporters and many others.

If you or anyone you know is affected by the coronavirus and want to share your story, please email bflanagan@al.com. For all of our coverage on the outbreak and how it continues to impact Alabama, visit AL.com/coronavirus.

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More from Outbreak Alabama:

Nick Saban steps it up

What’s next for schools?

The spike in Montgomery

‘Astonishing’ disparities in the rural South

Where is the nursing home data?

Is it a mistake to reopen now?

Whiter Thomas on staying creative during the pandemic

Our successes and failures so far

The return of retail

A barber’s dilemma

Is it really time to reopen Alabama?

A coronavirus survivor’s message to the rest of us

Ivey not ready to reopen just yet

Crime in the age of coronavirus

What role do our churches play?

The absence of sports

Learning from a distance

Walt Maddox on leading Tuscaloosa through coronavirus

Social distancing, or not

Coronavirus’ early impact on musicians

Alabama restaurants

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