MOBILE, Ala (WKRG) — WKRG News 5 viewers have been asking for several days how many people are in local hospitals, and if the hospitals are being overwhelmed. WKRG News 5 has been asking for information from local officials about that for a few days.

Thursday, however, the Mobile County Health Department said that information was on a “need to know” basis and is only being shared with certain people and individuals. MCHD Epidemiologist, Dr. Rendi Murphree, told reporters, “Hospitals are uploading that information three times daily to the Alabama Instant Notification System. The number of hospital beds available, staffed, or filled in Mobile County hospitals will not be released publicly. Once we have at least 50 reported cases, we will release the percent of positive COVID-19 patients that are/were hospitalized as well as other demographic information.” That includes not only Mobile County but the entire state.

Mobile County has 18 cases of covid-19.

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