Tuscaloosa County's COVID cases up 27.2%; Alabama cases fall 3.8%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·4 min read
A flower is placed on a portrait of fallen Lee County Sheriff's Sgt. Steven Mazzotta at the Beyond the Call of Duty-Ride to Remember trailer wall at the Lee County Sheriff's Office on Monday, July 4, 2022, in Florida. Mazzotta died of complications of COVID-19. The Officer Down Memorial Page says more than 600 law enforcement officers have died of COVID-19. The End of Watch Ride started in Spokane, Washington, on June 1 and is traveling 79 days across the United States making tribute stops at hundreds of law enforcement agencies to honor fallen law enforcement officers.

Alabama reported 16,712 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 3.8% from the previous week. The previous week had 17,366 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Alabama ranked sixth among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 7.4% from the week before, with 906,593 cases reported. With 1.47% of the country's population, Alabama had 1.84% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 28 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Tuscaloosa County reported 687 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 540 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 61,594 cases and 794 deaths.

Pickens County reported 46 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 43 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,572 cases and 105 deaths.

Fayette County reported 27 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 46 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,202 cases and 97 deaths.

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Hale County reported 33 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 52 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,168 cases and 108 deaths.

Greene County reported 13 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 23 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 2,045 cases and 51 deaths.

Bibb County reported 65 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 57 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,947 cases and 105 deaths.

Lamar County reported 57 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 40 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,057 cases and 65 deaths.

​ Across Alabama, cases fell in 41 counties, with the best declines in Mobile County, with 1,261 cases from 1,393 a week earlier; in Escambia County, with 84 cases from 185; and in Baldwin County, with 699 cases from 790. ​

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

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Within Alabama, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Monroe County with 550 cases per 100,000 per week; Dallas County with 484; and Morgan County with 474. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Jefferson County, with 2,531 cases; Madison County, with 1,278 cases; and Mobile County, with 1,261. Weekly case counts rose in 26 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Tuscaloosa, Madison and Marshall counties.

In Alabama, ​ 19 ​ people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 50 people were reported dead.

A total of 1,424,411 people in Alabama have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 19,891 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 91,316,648 people have tested positive and 1,029,926 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Alabama's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, July 31. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 1,256

  • The week before that: 1,286

  • Four weeks ago: 1,071

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 75,143

  • The week before that: 73,476

  • Four weeks ago: 63,312

Hospitals in 24 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 21 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 30 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa County reported 687 additional COVID-19 cases this week