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JEFF: BRAND NEW UPDATES TO THE JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER. IN A VIDEO RELEASED TODAY, THE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER SAYS THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH. EFFECTIVE TOMORROW AT 5:00 P.M., ALL NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES WILL CLOSE. HERE’S A LIST OF THOSE BUSINESSES -- HAIR SALONS AND BARBER SHOPS, NAIL SALONS AND SPAS, TATTOO SHOPS. BARS AND RESTAURANTS, GYMS, ENTERTAINMENT VENUES, TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, AND MORE. BUSINESSES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE, LIKE PHARMACIES, GROCERY STORES, GAS STATIONS, ELECTRONIC AND TELECOMMUNICATION STORES, HARDWARE, AND MORE, MUST OPERATE UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS -- PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING OF SIX OR MORE FEET, AND FOLLOW SANITATION PLANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH CDC GUIDELINES. THESE PROVISIONS WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL AT LEAST APRIL SEE THE WVTM13 APP FOR A FULL LIST OF ESSENTIAL AND NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. >> THIS IS NOT A TIME TO LOOK FOR LOOPHOLES. I SIMPLY CANNOT POSSIBLY LIST EACH AND EVERY BUSINESS, SO I NEED YOUR HELP USING GOOD JUDGMENT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. JEFF: THOSE BUSINESSES ARE ON OUR WEBSITE AND APP. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION IS REPORTING MORE THAN 15,000 CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 HERE IN THE U.S. GLOBALLY, ALMOST 300,000 CASES. THE WORLD WIDE DEATH TOLL STANDS AT ALMOST 13,000 PEOPLE TONIGHT. CONFIRMED CASES ARE ALSO INCREASING ACROSS ALABAMA, 157 REPORTED AS OF TONIGHT. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH LISTS 21 COUNTIES WITH POSITIVE CASES. JEFFERSON COUNTY IS REPORTING TEN MORE CASES THAN AT THIS TIME LAST NIGHT, 71. THERE ARE 17 CASES IN SHELBY COUNTY, 16 IN LEE AND MADISON COUNTIES. 15 COUNTIES ARE REPORTING THREE CASES OR FEWER SCHEDULING FOR CORONAVIRUS TESTING IS UNDERWAY FOR ANYONE WITH SYMPTOMS. UAB HAS ALREADY SCHEDULED LITTLE MORE THAN 200 APPOINTMENTS FOR IN THE MORNING. EARLIER THIS EVENING WVTM 13’S BREA DOUGLAS WAS AT THE CORNER OF UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD AND 22ND STREET SOUTH, WHERE TESTING WILL BE, TO EXPLAIN HOW IT WORK BREA: UAB WILL ONLY BE TESTING 250 PEOPLE PER DAY STARTING TOMORROW. YOU CAN SEE THE CONES AND TENTS SET UP IN PREPARATION. AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT’S BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. FROM NOW UNTIL 11:00 TONIGHT, YOU CAN CALL TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19 IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING CERTAIN SYMPTOMS. THOSE SYMPTOMS ARE COUGH, FEVER, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, OR IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAD CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. >> IT’S IMPERATIVE THAT ALL PATIENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TESTING CALL OUR CALL CENTER SO THAT THEY MAY BE SCREENED AND SO THAT WE MAY ENSURE THAT WE USE ALL THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE OPTIMAL USE IN THE COMMUNIT BREA: APPOINTMENTS WILL START TOMORROW MORNING FROM 9:00 UNTIL 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. >> WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ACCESS IS TO TESTING FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND WE’RE EXCITED TO BRING THIS TO DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM. BREA: UAB OFFICIALS WILL ADMINISTER 250 TESTS DAILY, BUT UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT ISN’T ENOUGH, SO THEY PLAN TO EVENTUALLY ADMINISTER MORE. >> WE DO HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT OVER THE UPCOMING WEEKS, SUPPLIES AND TESTING CAPABILITIES WILL BE EXPANDED AND WE WILL WORK HARD TO BRING ON NEW SITES AS THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. BREA: THE NUMBER TO CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT IS 205-975-1881 AND YOU CAN CALL THAT NUMBER FROM NOW UNTIL 11:00 TONIGHT. THAT WAS WVTM13’S BREA DOUGLAS REPORTING. UAB TELLS US ALMOST 400 PEOPLE WERE SCREENED TODAY VIA PHONE, WITH 208 APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULED. THE CALL CENTER WILL BE OPEN FROM 7:00 TO 11:00 EACH DAY FOR PHONE SCREENINGS. THE NUMBER IS ON YOUR SCREEN. FROM OUR MEDIA PARTNERS AT THE CULLMAN TRIBUNE, A DRIVE-THRU COVID-19 TEST SITE HAS BEEN SET UP AT THE CULLMAN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL TRADE CENTER. THE SITE WILL BE OPEN AT 8:30 EACH MORNING. PATIENTS WITH INSURANCE WILL BE CHARGED $50, AND PATIENTS WITHOUT $175. CALHOUN COUNTY IS TESTING AT THE REGION MEDICAL CENTER IN ANNISTON. PATIENTS MUST HAVE A REFERRAL FROM THEIR DOCTOR. CALHOUN COUNTY HAS A HELP LINE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. TEXT CALCOVID TO 888-777 TO GET TEXT MESSAGE UPDATES FROM THE CALHOUN COUNTY EMA. A CALL CENTER IS C NOW AVAILABLE 24-7 THROUGH THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NUMBER TO CALL, ON YOUR SCREEN, 888-264-2256. THE JEFFERSON COUNTY EMA ALSO OPERATES AN ALERT SYSTEM. TEXT THE KEYWORD INFO JEFFCO TO 888-777 TO GET TEXT MESSAGES WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COUNTY’S RESPONSE TO COVI

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