Eight cases of UK COVID-19 strain ID’d in Alabama, new virus cases low in east Alabama

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) reported 10 new cases in Chambers County, 37 in Lee County, four in Macon County, 21 in Russell County and 17 in Tallapoosa County on Wednesday, according to ADPH data.

The following are confirmed cases, probable cases and combined total cases as of Thursday:

• Chambers County – 1,671 confirmed, 1,677 probable, 3,348 combined
• Lee County – 8,247 confirmed, 6,482 probable, 14,729 combined
• Macon County – 1,082 confirmed, 303 probable, 1,385 combined
• Russell County – 3,099 confirmed, 878 probable, 3,977 combined
• Tallapoosa County – 2,570 confirmed, 905 probable, 3,475 combined

ADPH reported 1,198 new COVID-19 cases in Alabama on Thursday, including 1,010 confirmed cases and 188 probable cases. There were 379,795 confirmed cases and 104,570 probable cases of COVID-19 in Alabama.

As of Thursday, there have been 7,391 confirmed deaths and 2,033 probable deaths since the start of the pandemic in Alabama, according to ADPH.

Of the 7,391 confirmed deaths in Alabama, 68 are from Chambers County, 87 from Lee County, 32 from Macon County, 21 from Russell County and 123 from Tallapoosa County. Of the 2,033 probable deaths, 30 are from Chambers County, 54 from Lee County, 10 from Macon County, nine from Russell County and 15 from Tallapoosa County.

Variant

ADPH announced Thursday that it is partnering with several private and commercial laboratories in Alabama to expand its ability to identify COVID-19 strains that are known to be more transmissible.

There have been eight variant strains cases of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant identified in Alabama residents. Only a few of the cases had out-of-state travel prior to illness onset, which indicated the variant strain is already circulating in the state, ADPH said.

The cases of the variant strain were identified in residents of Autauga, Jefferson, Madison, Mobile and Montgomery counties.

“The cases that have been identified correspond with the counties where a small portion of laboratories is collecting specimens for sequencing, so there is much yet to be determined about the variant’s spread,” a news release from ADPH reads. “The variant was first identified in the United Kingdom.”