Alabama COVID-19 hospitalizations at low for pandemic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Fewer people are being treated for COVID-19 in Alabama hospitals than at any time since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

Statistics show just 90 people statewide were hospitalized with the coronavirus Friday. That was one fewer than the tally at the very start of the pandemic.

But experts say the rise of a new version of the coronavirus combined with fewer safety precautions might mean the decline is only temporary.

More than 19,200 people have died of COVID-19 in Alabama, giving the state the nation’s third-highest death rate at nearly 395 fatalities for every 100,000 residents.