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*Calhoun County Vaccine Update* Those who are 75 years or older can now come to the Anniston City Meeting Center until 3PM today, 1/5/2021, and from 7AM to 3PM on Wednesday, 1/6/2021 and Thursday 1/7/2021 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Due to meeting the need of Alabama Department of Public Health’s Vaccine Allocation Plan priority group 1a, the joint vaccination site at the Anniston City Meeting Center has been expanded to the subset of group 1b that includes ONLY those in Calhoun County that are 75 YEARS OR OLDER. Details: - Location: Anniston City Meeting Center - Address: 1516 Noble Street, Anniston AL, 36201 - Dates/Times: 1/5/2021 - 1/7/2021 from 7AM to 3 PM - Groups Eligible: Healthcare worker, first responders, 75 years or older who live in Calhoun County. - The supplies are limited and are first come first serve. - No appointment needed. - The vaccines are free are of charge.

Over this holiday season, the Northeast Regional Medical Center (RMC) continues to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 positive cases needing care. We encourage people to consider limiting their exposure to others this New Year holiday to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Below is a graph of the hospitalizations and alternative activities for New Year's.

Everyone can make the winter holidays safer by implementing the recommendation of the Alabama Department of Public Health and the CDC. If you decide to gather with people outside your household just consider a few precautions to help reduce the spread of the virus. These precautions are simple and easy to implement like opening windows to increase air-flow or only having one person serve the food with gloves and a mask on. Please see the graphics below from the CDC to see all the ways you can help slow the spread of the virus this winter. Download PDF from the CDC here:

Calhoun County continues to see an increase in the number of new cases per week as well as hospitalizations. The county's positivity rate has increase by approximately 4% since last week and is now at 19.6%. These trends are not headed in the right direction and we URGE the community to implement all precautions necessary to reduce the level of community spread. Please socially distance from others, don't go out if not necessary, wear you mask around those outside of your household, and sanitize frequently. Click here for a link to our previous press conference on Wednesday: https://fb.watch/2jrFzDx5hD/ Total Cases: 7,658 (+ 719 from last week) Total Deaths: 129 (+3 from last week) Risk Level: High Positivity Rate:19.6% ( +3.7% from last week) Average daily number of hospitalizations for the last 7 days: 52 (+11 from last week)

Today, Governor Kay Ivey held a joint press conference with Dr. Scott Harris to provide an update on their COVID-19 efforts at 11:00am. The current order, including the statewide mask mandate, will be extended until January 22, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Please remember to wear your mask, socially distance and sanitize frequently. To see press conference video: facebook.com/KayIveyAL/ For all documents about new health order: https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2020/12/governor-ivey-extends-safer-at-home-order/

Calhoun County continues to see increasing case numbers and have passed our previous peak in July/August. We continue to encourage everyone in Calhoun County to implement the precautions and recommendations for slowing the spread of COVID-19. The month of November had the highest number of new positive cases, with around 60.9 new cases on average per day. 7 of our 8 highest days for new COVID cases have come within the last 21 days. Also, there will be a drive-thru test site Wednesday, December 9th from 10 AM- 2PM at 11th and Grove Street in Anniston. Total Cases: 6,939 Total Deaths: 126 Risk Level: High Positivity Rate: 15.9% (+2.1% from last week) Average daily number of hospitalizations for the last 7 days: 41 (+6 from last week)

Looking back at the month of November, Calhoun County began to see a spike in number of new cases per week. There were 60.9 new cases per day in November which is almost double that of October with only 34 new cases per day on average. The hospitalizations at RMC had a slight increase from low 30s up to high 30s/low 40s. Those numbers are pushing the capacity of the two COVID Units at RMC. It is important to slow the spread of COVID-19 by following the Safer at Home Order and recommendations from the CDC. As we move into the winter and rest of the holiday season, please consider implementing precautions for your holiday gatherings and outings like keeping the gathering to those within your household and maintaining 6ft distances and wearing a mask when you're out. For more information on ways you can stay safe this holiday season please visit: www.calhounema.org/christmas For daily updates on the numbers, please visit www.calhounema.org/coronavirus The Calhoun County receives the number of cases from Alabama Department of Public Health and information on hospitalizations from Regional Medical Center (RMC).

For Facebook Live video update from Dr. Scott Harris: https://fb.watch/1Z583UfUxJ/ Release Per the Alabama Department of Public Health: "NEWS RELEASE Alabamians urged to take responsibility and slow transmission of COVID-19 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Karen Landers, M.D., (256) 383-1231 State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mary McIntyre cautioned Alabamians about rising rates of COVID-19 and asked them to be vigilant during the days ahead. The spread of the virus has resulted in the greatest increases in hospitalizations since July, and for the past six weeks there have been at least 1,000 new cases per day. In July, Alabama hospitals were at maximum capacity. The statistics are alarming—there have been more than 230,000 individual cases in Alabama so far with 1.5 percent of cases resulting in death (3,459). This is about 15 times the death rate from influenza. In seniors age 75 and older the risk is far greater. “We are not going to get ‘a do over,’ but there are things you can do to stop the unchecked spread in many parts of Alabama,” Dr. Harris said. “Please think about it and take responsibility for your behavior.” As an example for others, Dr. McIntyre said her family is limiting its normally large Thanksgiving gathering to a total of seven people from two households. Before each person enters, temperatures are checked, and everyone wears facial coverings unless eating. Everyone uses hand sanitizer upon entry and prior to eating. Only one person will touch all serving utensils, they will use disposable tableware, and households will eat at separate tables to ensure they are separated by more than 6 feet. Other family members will celebrate virtually from other locations. Encouraging COVID-19 vaccine development efforts continue. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer,Moderna and AstraZeneca have announced they have developed promising vaccines that are safe and highly effective. The Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee will evaluate them and make recommendations, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will review, and Operation Warp Speed will ship and preposition vaccine shipments to avoid unnecessary delays. Input to determine priorities of when groups will receive vaccine has come from a committee of 50-60 stakeholders from across the state and the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force. Alabama’s vaccination allocation plan defines populations and the order in which they will receive vaccine in four phases. The plan can be viewed at https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/assets/adph-covid19-vaccination-allocation-plan.pdf Vaccine will be free for all Americans. There is also good news in therapeutics for non-hospitalized patients with mild or moderate confirmed cases of COVID-19. Eli Lilly and Company’s investigational monoclonal antibody therapeutic, bamlanivimab, received emergency use authorizationfrom the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bamlanivimab has already been used in Montgomery. Close to 40 Alabama hospitals have placed orders for it, and a supply is expected to be delivered this week. The public is reminded to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 by staying at home as much as possible, wearing facial coverings as much as is practical, washing hands, avoiding large gatherings, maintaining good hygiene, socially distancing, and knowing their COVID-19 status. Health officials urge everyone to protect vulnerable people from COVID-19."

In Calhoun County, the number of new cases per week and the percent positive has continued to increase. See graphs below for visual. Total Cases: 5,896 Total Deaths: 133 (Some did not occur within the last week and had been under investigation by ADPH) Risk Level: High Positivity Rate: 15.41% (+1.1% from last week) Average daily number of hospitalizations for the last 7 days: 35 (+4 from last week) Images of charts and maps below: Weekly totals have began to exceed our previous peak in August. Calhoun County remains in the High Risk category according to the ADPH Risk Indicator The percent positivity has increase by 1.1% from last week. It is currently 15.41% Hospitalizations saw on avg 35 patients in house for the past week. This is up 4 from last week's average of 31. They have been able to maintain stable numbers, however, this is due to discharging patients. There are still admissions into the COVID unit almost daily.

Calhoun County has seen 758 new positive cases in last 14 days which is equal to our previous peak in August. Remember to implement safe practices as the holiday season comes. Here are some tips to having a safer Thanksgiving:

In Calhoun County, the number of new cases per week has continued to increase with the week of Nov 1- Nov 8 having the third highest number of cases to date. See graph below for visual. Total Cases: 5,429 Total Deaths: 77 Risk Level: High Positivity Rate: 15% Average daily number of hospitalizations for the last 7 days: 31 Images of charts and maps below: Cases per Week since March: Hospitalizations at Regional Medical Center since March: Risk indicator: All Data is received through Alabama Department of Public Health and the Calhoun County EMA presents it in various ways to help understand how Calhoun County is doing. For the Risk indicator and surveillance dashboard: https://calhoun.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e53b4aa0d37b482bad76796f614ab919

Governor Kay Ivey held a press conference on 11/5/2020 extending the Public Health Order until December 11th, including the mask ordinance. However, there have been some restrictions loosened on businesses. For more information: https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2020/11/governor-ivey-issues-amended-safer-at-home-order-8/ In Calhoun County, we have continued to see slight increases in new cases per week as well as an increase in positivity rates. We have also move back up to the High Risk level according to Alabama Department of Public Health's Risk Indicator. The hospital did hit 40 on Monday, but has decrease to around the mid-30s. Total Cases: 5,077 Total Deaths: 67 Risk Level: High Positivity Rate: 15.25% Average daily number of hospitalizations for the last 7 days: 35 Images of charts and maps below: NEW CASES PER WEEK: HOSPITALIZATIONS: RISK LEVEL: PERCENT POSITIVE: For the ADPH Dashboard: https://alpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7