Coronavirus

Mobile Throws ‘Tardy Gras’ Parade 2 Months after Mardi Gras was Canceled

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by WAKA Action 8 News

FILE – In this Feb. 23, 2020 file photo, float riders toss beads and other items to crowds during a Mardi Gras parade in Mobile, Ala. Mobile is putting on a Mardi Gras-style parade that will feel at least a little like the Carnival celebrations that were canceled earlier this year because of the pandemic. Plastic beads and other trinkets…

Alabama Jobless Rate Drops to 3.6% as Wages Rise

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by WAKA Action 8 News

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% last month, and a hiring surging prompted by renewed business activity as the pandemic eases is driving up wages in the state. The state labor agency said Friday the jobless rate for April was 3.6%. That’s down a bit from March and nearly 10 percentage points below April 2020, when…

Big Gaps in Vaccine Rates Across the US Worry Health Experts

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by WAKA Action 8 News

(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – A distinct geographic pattern has emerged in the U.S. drive to vanquish the coronavirus: The highest vaccination rates are concentrated in the Northeast, while the lowest ones are mostly in the South. Experts say the gap reflects a multitude of factors, including political leanings, religious beliefs, and education and income levels. Close to…

Hoover Mass Vaccination Site Closes Amid Dwindling Demand

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by WAKA Action 8 News

A worker from the University of Alabama at Birmingham waits for patients to arrive on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at a mass COVID-19 immunization site in Hoover, Ala., where declining demand prompted a shutdown. While initially capable of vaccinating as many as 2,400 people daily, site workers said far fewer people have been showing up for shots even though only…

Some Aren’t Ready to Give up Masks Despite New CDC Guidance

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by WAKA Action 8 News

 (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Not everyone is giving up wearing a face mask despite the latest government guidance that means fully vaccinated Americans can uncover their faces in many cases. The CDC now says fully vaccinated people can quit wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings and give up social distancing. With COVID-19 cases on the decline…