The Gadsden/Etowah County Emergency Management Agency website provides real-time information about the COVID-19 situation in the county, Director Deborah Gaither said — and based on that information, the situation is really serious.
Gaither said Etowah County's overall COVID-19 risk level is severe; the daily number of new cases is ranked as extreme. While statistics peg the infection rate as medium, the positivity rate among those tested is a critical 28.2%.
When she updated the Gadsden City Council this week, Gaither said Etowah County's ICU capacity had not been updated for Tuesday; the day before, it was 100%.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, Etowah County's cumulative number of cases Tuesday was 9,206 — 7,383 confirmed and 1,823 probable cases since March. The county added 152 confirmed new cases and 71 probable cases Tuesday — 1,759 cases in the last 14 days.