Coronavirus

Pandemic causes another trial delay for Alabama sheriff

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

ATHENS, Ala. (AP) – The trial of a long-serving Alabama sheriff accused of theft and ethics charges is being delayed again. A circuit judge is citing the coronavirus pandemic for his decision to postpone the case against Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. Blakely was first set to go on trial in March 2020, but the case was delayed until March…

Alabama’s COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Hotline Overwhelmed

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

The Alabama Department of Public Health is asking people to not call the vaccine scheduling hotline if you do not qualify. COVID-19 vaccination appointments are currently only available for healthcare workers, people 75 years and older, and first responders (including law enforcement and firefighters). The hotline received more than 1.1 million calls in the first day of being open to…

State Officials Warn of COVID-19 Scam in Alabama

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

  We have a warning about a COVID-related scam that’s being reported in Alabama. State health officials and the state Medicaid agency say people are being offered COVID testing and vaccines in their homes. Some of these offers are by phone, others are in person. The person may claim to work for the Alabama Medicaid Agency. They say this is…

Jackson Hospital Begins Pre-Registration for COVID-19 Vaccine

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

Jackson Hospital has begun online pre-registration for community members 75 years of age or older to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. In conjunction with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Jackson Hospital will begin scheduling appointments for those interested in receiving a vaccination later this month. Community members 75 years of age or older can visit www.jackson.org to pre-register. Pre-registration does not register…

Is the Black Community Reluctant to take Coronavirus Vaccines?

Tuskegee leaders are reassuring the community that the vaccine is safe.
WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

For many years people in Tuskegee, Alabama and many other predominately black communities have held reservations about government sponsored vaccinations. The black community of Macon Co. is apprehensive about the vaccine with good reason. From 1932 to 1972, the Federal Government conducted syphillys studies on 600 black men in Macon Co. The men were never given actual treatment, and the…

Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee Goes Virtual & Global in 2021

George McDonald,
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by George McDonald

From the West Alabama News Network– Preparations for the Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee are underway in Selma. And organizers say this year’s Jubilee — will be a global event. “And it’s going to take place in a totally virtual format. That is due to wanting to fight COVID and keep as many people safe as possible, while at the same…

Birmingham Mayor Released After COVID-19 Treatment

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin has been released from a hospital after being treated for COVID-19. A statement from the city says Woodfin went home on Wednesday to continue recovering from the illness and quarantining. The 39-year-old Woodfin was admitted to Princeton Baptist Medical Center on Monday with pneumonia in his left lung caused by COVID-19. A…

Alabama’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Behind Schedule

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

According to State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama is not where they thought we would be with vaccinations. Alabama is still in phase 1-A of vaccinations which includes frontline healthcare workers, high risk first responders and nursing home staff and residents. So far the state has issued around 52 thousand shots, thats much less than the 300 thousand needed…

State Health Officials Urge Patience As COVID-19 Slowly Rollout

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

Alabama health officials are urging patience amid a slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations as states are tasked with trying to get shots into the arms of residents. Vaccines are now prioritized for health care workers and long-term care residents. Health Officer Scott Harris said Wednesday that the state expects to make the shots available to more people soon. As of…

Birmingham’s Woodfin among 4 Alabama mayors with COVID-19

WAKA Action 8 News,
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by WAKA Action 8 News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The mayors of at least four Alabama cities have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as the illness spreads rapidly across the state following the holidays. The city of Birmingham said Mayor Randall Woodfin was admitted to a hospital with COVID-19 pneumonia on Monday, five days after announcing he tested positive for the new coronavirus. Decatur Mayor Tab…