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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

Over the last week, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Shelby County had its biggest spike in several weeks as more than 100 new cases were confirmed by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The previous two weeks combined saw less than 70 new cases with weekly totals at 35 and 32, but in the last week there were daily totals that exceeded that mark.

That sent the number of cases up from 402 last Monday morning to 518 as of Monday morning, June 1, for an increase of 116 cases in the last seven days. The new numbers also marked an increase of 34 cases since last Friday morning when the total sat at 484.

In that time span, there have been 1,081 new tests looked at by the ADPH, bringing the total number of tests administered in Shelby County to 9,541. In the last seven days, 10.7 percent of those tested have received positive results in that span.

The death toll for the county has also risen by one with the total number now at 20.

With 518 total cases and 9,541 confirmed cases in the county, the percentage of those tested receiving positive results is still hovering at 5.3 percent, a mark it has been near for the last three weeks.

So far, 0.23 percent of the county’s population has tested positive, while 4.4 percent of the county’s population has been tested.

Across the state, there have now been 18,018 confirmed cases with 222,378 tests administered, which is an increase of 2,368 cases and 28,619 tests since last Friday morning. In that time span, 8.3 percent of those tested had a positive case.

In the last two weeks, the state has seen a large portion of its positive cases with 80,014 new tests administered and 5,926 new cases. During that two-week time frame, 7.4 percent of those tested have tested positive.

Overall, the state has seen 4.5 percent of the population tested, while 0.36 percent of the state’s population has tested positive.

There also remains 9,355 presumed recoveries, a number that will be updated later this week and on a weekly basis.

The number of deaths in the state has now reached 644, which marks 64 new confirmed deaths since last Friday morning.

Of those who have died, 80.6 percent have been 65 or older, while 16 percent have been between the ages of 50 and 64 and 3.4 percent between the ages of 25 and 49. In addition to that, 53.9 percent have been male.

Those numbers come despite females making up 57.8 percent of cases and those between the ages of 5 and 64 making up 76.89 percent of cases, meaning older people and males aren’t getting it as often, but it is more deadly to those demographics.

There have also been 1,855 hospitalizations since the virus’ outbreak on March 13, while 591 of those have been placed in the intensive care unit and 355 on ventilators.

In addition to those numbers, 2,253 healthcare workers have contracted the virus, while 1,695 long-term care residents and 1,031 long-term care employees have had positive cases.

If you think you have been exposed or have symptoms of COVID-19, please isolate and call your doctor or nearest medical facility for guidance or call the Alabama Department of Public Health hotline at 1-888-264-2256.

For more information about COVID-19, visit Alabamapublichealth.gov/infectiousdiseases/2019-coronavirus.

To view an updated dashboard of confirmed cases and see testing sites, visit Alpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/6d2771faa9da4a2786a509d82c8cf0f7

Continue to follow throughout this week for daily updates to see if the upward trend continues in relation to the number of tests administered.