HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — As of October 3, the Alabama Department of Public Health reports that the state has seen more COVID-19 cases and deaths so far in 2021 than in all of 2020.
Alabama saw 388,269 reported cases of COVID-19 in 2020. In 2021, the state has reported 412,331 cases as of September 22.
A total of 7,183 Alabamians died from the virus in 2020, compared to 7,282 in 2021 as of October 3. In total, 14,470 Alabamians have reportedly died from the virus so far.
Health experts continue to stress that the best way to end this pandemic is for more people to get vaccinated. If you decide not to get vaccinated, experts ask that you continue to wear a mask in public and practice social distancing.
While the vaccine doesn’t 100% guarantee you won’t get the virus, doctors say it can protect you from serious illness and even death.
The majority of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. According to Alabama Hospital Association (AHA) data released on October 3, 80% of adult inpatients are unvaccinated, 16% are fully vaccinated and just 4% are partially vaccinated.
AHA reports there are 22 pediatric COVID-19 inpatients. Four of those pediatric COVID inpatients are in the ICU and two are on ventilators.
The data also shows the state still is facing a shortage of ICU bed availability. As of October 3, the state's ICU capacity is roughly 90% full.