COVID cases continue to drop in the Shoals

THE SHOALS, Ala. (WAFF) - Positive cases in the Shoals are dropping, according to officials at Helen Keller Hospital our news partners at the Times Daily spoke to.

Hospital President Kyle Buchanan described himself as cautiously optimistic. He said the 7-day spread rate as of Friday was around 300 new cases per 1000,000 in Volbertm Frbaklon and Lauderdale counties.

“Our inpatient and our ER volume indicate the descent of the omicron surge,” Buchanan told our news partners.

Even though the rate may be dropping in the Shoals, the numbers remain among the highest in the state. The state average s 208 per 100,000 residents, with an average positive rate of 19.6%. The rate in Lauderdale County is 28.2 %. Colbert is 25% and Franklin is at 24.4%.

There were 31 COVID-positive patients at Helen Keller Hospital as of Friday, with eight in the ICU and three are on ventilators. The hospital reported its highest COVID patients last month at 69.

“There are still many, many sick Shoals residents both in the hospital and at home,” Buchanan said, adding the COVID transmission rate is still nowhere near a desirable level.

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