Mobile County saw numbers increase during the shutdown, passing other Alabama counties, leading Alabama to coronavirus cases and deaths. But the outbreak seemed to level off in Mobile, at least relative to recent increases in Montgomery and now in Jefferson counties.
But now Mobile’s health officials are concerned that the numbers are starting to rise again, and city officials are talking about taking a big step to stop another rapid increase: the requirement for masks.
“I’m really concerned about the direction it seems to be going,” said Dr. Rendi Murphree, an epidemiologist who is director of the Office of Disease Surveillance and Environmental Services at the Mobile County Health Department, referring to an increase in deaths by one to three in one last week. “We have had an extreme increase in cases. I hope our worst fears are true. “
Mobile city officials plan to debate and could vote on a mask ordinance during their meeting on Tuesday.
Mobile County has added more than 520 new coronavirus cases in the past week. And while that number lags behind the recent increase in Jefferson County, officials at USA Health and the Mobile County Department of Public Health expressed concern that hospitalizations could increase again if safe practices are not followed quickly. of social distancing.
“There are more cases popping up,” said Dr. Michael Chang, medical director of USA Health. “The best we can say is a combination of more testing and significantly more disease. In Alabama, at the end of April, we had 500 patients across the state hospitalized with COVID-19. Now, it is up to 700 and it is constantly going up. ”
Chang said the capacity of the hospital bed, however, remains “in a controllable range” at USA Health. The hospital is also participating in a joint effort with the city to provide testing to the general public at the Mobile Civic Center. Up to 250 patients a day are being evaluated at the public testing site.
Wear a mask
Chang, meanwhile, said covering your face is one of three bases to stop the spread of COVID-19 that is imploring the public to consider over the weekend of July 4. The other two include standing within 6 feet of each other and frequent hand washing.
“Masking is absolutely key,” said Chang. “It is a part of a three legged stool. Protects the user and the people to whom it is exposed. Strict hand washing is also important and maintaining that 6-foot social distance. Those three things working together … cumulative is more effective than (doing one of those three) individually. “
The council vote may have to wait another week. Council rules allow the first time a new ordinance is introduced, any council member can choose to have voting suspended for another week. Mobile City Councilman John Williams, during an interview Monday with FM Talk 106.5 presenter Sean Sullivan, said he planned to request the one-week layover.
But most likely, you will have to pass the supermajority of five votes. Council members Bess Rich, Levon Manzie, Fred Richardson, Joel Daves, and CJ Small have publicly expressed their support for the ordinance that would institute fines of $ 50 against first-time violators, and $ 100 for a second-time violator.
Tuscaloosa and Decatur are also about to approve mandates to wear masks this week.
18 percent of Alabamians must wear masks, more cities may follow soon
“It is absolutely clear that coronavirus is still very active in our community and more needs to be done to slow down and stop the spread of this deadly disease,” Small said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people 2 years of age and older use face shields as a barrier to help prevent air drops from traveling through the air and reaching other people. According to the CDC, facial coatings are more likely to stop the spread of COVID-19 when used widely in public settings.
Intrusion against the intelligent
Masks have become a hotly debated topic in the US in the past week, as infections across the country have skyrocketed to more than 40,000 per day.
But facial covering has become a polarized problem in recent weeks, as some Americans see a mask mandate as government intrusion. They’re also seen through the county’s deep partisan divisions: According to the Pew Research Center, 76% of Democrats and Democrats leaning say they personally wore a mask all or most of the time during the past month, while 53% of Republicans or Republicans favored the same thing. Conservative Republicans, according to Pew, were among the least likely to have worn a mask all or most of the time last month, at just under half, 49%, saying yes. Liberal Democrats, by contrast, had an 83% chance of using them, according to Pew.
Chang said he felt “it was never too late” for a mask ordinance, noting that the country’s battle against COVID-19 is still at its “early end.”
“We have a long way to go,” Chang said. “Anything we can do for prevention is an advantage and masking is important.”
Voting in Mobile County does not mean that other cities in the county will do the same. A letter signed Monday by the county’s 11 city mayors urges people to wear a cloth face covering when they go out in public. However, it does not ordinance that coatings are required.
Saraland Mayor Howard Rubenstein said a mask ordinance is not under consideration.
“We continue to monitor COVID-19 data and encourage our residents to follow appropriate safety guidelines, including the use of masks in public areas,” he said.
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