MADISON COUNTY, Ala — Now that Alabama is considered a nationwide hot spot, the urge to use precaution when going outside is significantly increased, according to local leaders.
"Our numbers have been very high. Our overall hospitalizations, while our hospitalizations are up, our statistics in terms of intensive care bed usage and ventilator usage is about the same," said Dr. Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Dr. Landers continued to remind folks that the objective of taking precaution is to prevent the spread, not wipe it out completely. She said reducing the spread will guarantee the healthcare system does not get overwhelmed.
She added, "There will be a vaccine at some point."
Madison Mayor Paul Finley reported a rise in numbers in quarantined cases. He said in the past two weeks in Madison County, the number of positive cases jumped from 85 to 375 people.
"I think the number that hit me the most was the quarantined folks. The ones that have tested positive and are quarantined. That number has gone from 85 to 375. That's about a 440% increase," he said.
That rise in cases poses the question of mandating face masks, which is something many people have voiced concerns over, according to Mayor Finley. He said the decision to enforce mask wearing everywhere is not a decision that is ready to be made yet.
"Part of what you hear is people saying, 'I don't care what you put on, I will not wear a mask whatever you tell me to do.' And I think in many instances, you have to take that into account," he continued, "That's why we keep going back to personal responsibility. If you're going to go out, you have the control yourself. Government can't mandate everything."
He said personal responsibility is the priority right now. He said if people are going out and worried about the virus, they will wear a mask.