Alabama sees jump in COVID-19 test positivity

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Health officials are urging people to take precautions, such as wearing masks and getting booster shots, after the positivity rate for COVID-19 tests more than doubled over the last week.

The Alabama Department of Public Health said in a news release Tuesday that the state positivity rate for COVID-19 tests had more doubled over the past week to reach 22.1%.

Dr. Bert Eichold, the health officer for Mobile County, said over 50% of recently sequenced samples from COVID-19 patients there came back as the omicron. He said while early indications are that omicron causes milder illness, it is more contagious than earlier variants.

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12/28/2021 4:04:04 PM (GMT -6:00)