Hospital Leaders Responding to Coronavirus Case Spikes

Tonight - coronavirus cases across the country are spiking - and hospitalizations and deaths are quickly following.

You're taking a live look at huntsville from the waay 31 sky cam network.

North alabama is by no means immune to this most recent surge.

Health experts and hospital leaders are doing all they can to keep the situation under control.

Concerns over that spike are closing schools and impacting travel - just in time for thanksgiving.

Thanks for joining us tonight.

I'm dan shaffer.

And i'm najahe sherman.

Tonight- local leaders in madison county are sharing their concerns about an increase in coronavirus cases in the area..

Huntsville- madison county emercency managment director jeff birdwell told waay 31- with us only being twelve days into november-- we are already seeing sixty two percent the total number of cases we had for all of october.

Birdwell says the county is on pace to hit 24 hundred total cases this month.

Waay 31's sydney martin is live huntsville with more on the spike in cases.

Huntsville hospital c-e-o david spillers told me they're watching the spike closely and expect it to peak by the end of this month or early next month.

He told me with the upcoming holidays- and businesses back open he wants people to follow covid-19 guidelines to stop the spread.

He said right now the hospital is looking at different models that predict the hospital will peak with about 125 coronavirus in-patients in the end of november or beginning of december.

That number of impatients is what they saw when "with all the covid that's in the community right now i think businesses should relook at if employees can work at home make sure they are working at home."

Buts david spillers, huntsville hospital ceo "you want people to not socialize and transmit the virus.

It's very hard for people to do that.

So far, every holiday has led to an increase in the community."

Spillers said alot of covid cases are coming from people getting it in the workplace because people are getting too comfortable and odn't wear masks and are staying in rooms together too long.

He hopes everyone will continue to seperate, sanitize and wear a mask.

Live in huntsville sm waay31 news.

Spillers also gave us an update on coronavirus testing within the huntsville hospital system.

He says until now...about 10 percent of covid tests came back positive.

Recently - that number is up to 18 percent!

The hospital is seeing an increase in the number of patients visiting their fever and flu clinic with flu symptoms... spillers says most of them end up testing positive for covid.

Madison county e-m-a director jeff bird-well says the fever and flu clinic is reporting 30 percent positivity rates!

Spillers says the hospital doesn't plan on re-opening its mobile drive-thru testing site at john hunt park.

That's because there are so many more options to get tested in the community now.

But - they're ready to mobilize it