Outbreak Alabama: Stories from a Pandemic

The final episode of Outbreak Alabama focuses on those in Alabama who lost their lives to COVID. AL.com reporter William Thornton talks about writing COVID obituaries in Alabama, how they evolved as the pandemic evolved and how we should remember those who lost their lives in the pandemic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama now reporting more than 100 COVID deaths per day. 2020 was the deadliest year in Alabama history, according to Harris. It was the first year on record where more people died than were born in the state. AL.com data reporter Ramsey Archibald talks about the number of deaths in Alabama, why they remain a lagging indicator for COVID data in our state and why all this could be just the beginning, as the state begins to understand how deadly the delta variant really is. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com columnist Roy S. Johnson on Governor Kay Ivey's leadership during COVID, why the vaccine is such a partisan issue and why Alabamians need to be saved from themselves. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Grammy-winning musician Jason Isbell talks about when he decided implementing the COVID restrictions at his shows was the right thing to do, how this stance has affected the relationship with some of his fans, what it's like to finally hit the road and play again and what it will take for Alabama to have a change of heart on getting vaccinated. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Charles Barkley on why publicly encouraging vaccination is so important to him, why he thinks Alabama has been so stubborn about getting the shot and why sports figures like him can and should make a difference in the fight against COVID. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com sports columnist Joseph Goodman on why he wants to see proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests required at football games this fall, why football has to take a backseat to slowing the spread and why SEC schools must play a role in it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Jenna Boyd Carpenter of Guntersville talks about why Alabama hospital staffs like hers are exhausted, why she's emotionally drained from treating COVID patients at the end of her day and what it will take for people to finally trust the medical experts and get vaccinated. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama Education Lab editor Ruth Serven Smith on why some parents are so angry about schools requiring kids to wear masks, what protocols schools will follow to protect children and how vaccination approval for kids might change the course of the school year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rock the South organizer Shane Quick on the stress that comes with planning a festival this size during COVID, what they will do to keep fans safe and how they'll avoid a super-spreader in Cullman. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama COVID cases and hospitalizations are skyrocketing.The vaccination rate is the lowest in the U.S. The positivity rate is the highest. AL.com data reporter Ramsey Archibald talks about the slight uptick in vaccinations in Alabama, the rising case counts and why only about half of the state's healthcare workers are fully vaccinated. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author John Archibald on telling the truth about COVID even when so few are listening, why scolding people into getting vaccinated isn't working, how politics play a role in vaccine hesitancy and what it will take for all this to finally click with people in Alabama. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sidewalk Film executive director Chloe Cook on why you can't be anti-vax and pro-business in Alabama, how her organization was most impacted by COVID, what concerns she hears from her friends in the arts community and what her message is to people who want normal life but aren't willing to do what's necessary to make it a reality. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com reporter Lawrence Specker and his wife Melissa recently rested positive for COVID-19. Both fully vaccinated, they are two examples of breakthrough cases in Alabama. He talks about when he learned he was infected, what symptoms he had with his breakthrough case, why he no longer feels bulletproof even though he's vaccinated and how his perspective on the virus has changed since contracting it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Karen Landers from the Alabama Department of Public Health discusses misinformation as one of the leading causes of people refusing to get vaccinated, why schools should require children to wear masks this fall, why young people are disproportionately refusing the vaccine and what concerns her the most about the contagious Delta variant. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com's Matt Scalici talks about the SEC's rules and expectations for teams in 2021, how the league is incentivizing vaccinations, what Nick Saban and Bryan Harsin said last week and what role college football coaches play in the COVID conversation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com columnist Kyle Whitmire talks about what Governor Kay Ivey and Alabama's leaders can do to eradicate COVID-10 in the state, how they can connect with people and convince them to get vaccinated after falling short so far. But we also try to understand where this disconnect is rooted, and why the people of Alabama won't get the shot to make this virus go away. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama currently ranks dead last the nation in vaccination rate. Only a third of the state population is now fully vaccinated. Vaccinations in Alabama have slowed to a near standstill. The Delta variant is here and running rampant. AL.com data reporter Ramsey Archibald discusses the climbing positivity rate, the stagnant vaccination rate, the Fourth of July spike, what could possibly be encouraging about the data, and what he finds most concerning about the numbers in Alabama. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Michael Saag, director of the Division of Infectious Disease at UAB on Alabama's vaccination rate, why people remain reluctant to get vaccinated, what people should know about the Delta variant, why there's nothing political about protecting yourself from a deadly virus and how we are making the same mistakes we did when COVID was peaking by rushing back to normal life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A year into the pandemic, AL.com journalists reflect on how they and their outlook on COVID-19 have changed.Guests: Ramsey Archibald, Trisha Powell Crain, J.D. Crowe, Greg Garrison, Joseph Goodman, Leada Gore, Ivana Hrynkiw, Roy Johnson, Dennis Pillion, Carol Robinson, Sarah Whites-Koditschek, Amy Yurkanin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama journalists reflect on the stories they will always remember, whether it was something they wrote or shot, a piece they read, something or someone from our COVID coverage in Alabama the last year that they will never forget.Alabama journalists reflect on the pandemic after dedicating a calendar year to reporting on COVID-19.Guests: Trisha Powell Crain, J.D. Crowe, Ivana Hrynkiw, Roy Johnson, Joe Songer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama journalists reflect on the pandemic after dedicating a calendar year to reporting on COVID-19. While they were faced with telling difficult stories about death and struggle, AL.com reporters also found tremendous humanity and inspiring moments that gave them hope about the direction the pandemic was headed in Alabama.Guests: Ramsey Archibald, Trisha Powell Crain, J.D. Crowe, Greg Garrison, Joseph Goodman, Leada Gore, Ivana Hrynkiw, Roy Johnson, Dennis Pillion, Carol Robinson, Joe Songer, Sarah Whites-Koditschek, Amy Yurkanin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama journalists reflect on the pandemic after dedicating a calendar year to getting vital information about COVID-19 and the state's response to the public. AL.com reporters talk about the most difficult aspect of covering COVID in Alabama. A pandemic that has so far killed half a million people in the country is inherently dark, and it's challenging work to put it all into context for readers who want as much information as they can get as quickly as they can get it.Guests: Ramsey Archibald, Trisha Powell Crain, J.D. Crowe, Greg Garrison, Joseph Goodman, Leada Gore, Ivana Hrynkiw, Roy Johnson, Dennis Pillion, Carol Robinson, Joe Songer, Sarah Whites-Koditschek, Amy Yurkanin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox on why the numbers are going down in his city, how he'd assess the vaccination rollout and how the city can better enforce COVID restrictions at bars, restaurants and potential super-spreaders like the national championship celebration on the Strip in January. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The vaccines are in Alabama, which is great news, but the logistics for distribution are complicated. AL.com reporter Sarah Whites-Koditschek discusses who in Alabama will get the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines and what the timetable looks like for everyone else as we approach a year into the pandemic. We also hear from Dr. Blake Lovely, an emergency physician, about already receiving the vaccine, why this will strengthen the healthcare workforce in the fight against COVID and why people should feel comfortable taking the shot despite the spread of misinformation related to the vaccine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Michael Saag, physician and professor on infectious diseases at UAB, on why wearing masks saves lives, why he's hopeful but not confident about the vaccine timeline, how treatments have evolved dramatically, why we are failing to contain the disease, how the pandemic was politicized and why, in spite of everything, he remains encouraged about the future. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reckon South's John Hammontree, host of "The Reckon Interview" podcast, talks about voting during the pandemic, how Alabama is working to accommodating voters through COVID-19 guidelines, the government's efficiency in handling absentee ballots and the lingering questions he has about the 2020 election. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nightmare at 3008 haunted house owner Nick Bryan about operating a haunted house during a pandemic, debating whether to incorporate the virus in the creative planning and coming up with new ways to stay scary and safe with so many restrictions in place. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why Alabama's two major college towns have seen increases in hospitalizations while the rest of the state continues to see a decline, featuring AL.com reporter Sarah Whites-Koditschek. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Funeral director Paul Rollins about his concerns about COVID and children returning to school in Tuscaloosa sooner than planned, if he thinks the board of education is truly taking his and other parents' remarks into consideration and how the pandemic has impacted his funeral home business. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Parents of students in the Tuscaloosa City Schools system talk about why virtual learning isn't working for children at home, how the school board has responded to their concerns, how worried they are about their children catching and spreading COVID-19 and what toll a lack of in-person schooling has taken on families. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After two weeks on campus, an Auburn student came home to have dinner with her family, having unknowingly contracted COVID-19 and then infecting everyone in the home. The student's mother, Elizabeth Cross, talks about her family's experience with COVID-19, the challenges she and her husband continue to face after infection and how college students' actions on and off campus impact their families and communities. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com investigative reporter Connor Sheets on the anxiety among University of Alabama students have about the administration's response to the pandemic, what steps UA is taking to protect the student body from COVID-19, the national headlines the UA system is making for better or worse and what he thinks it will take for the state's colleges to switch to remote learning. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sidewalk Film Festival creative director and lead programmer Rachel Morgan on how the festival's new drive-in format works, if they will include drive-in screenings at future festivals, how artists have responded to the change and what the future holds for the festival and the Sidewalk's new art house theater. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com reporter Giana Han on Auburn University's response to mounting COVID-19 cases on campus, the students' reaction to new restrictions, how protecting the football season factors into the school's guidelines and what questions remain as the semester continues. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A total of 531 confirmed COVID-19 cases between students, faculty and staff were reported at the University of Alabama since classes resumed. AL.com reporter Michael Casagrande talks about UA's response to the pandemic, what led to the city shutting down its bars, what UA's new data reveals and what it leaves out, what role the 2020 football season plays in the new campus restrictions and what questions still remain as the semester continues. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are declining in Alabama. AL.com data reporter Ramsey Archibald discusses the latest numbers, if Gov. Kay Ivey's mask ordinance has made a difference, where we need the positivity rate to feel better, if and when schools reopening might trigger new spikes and why we should finally feel encouraged in Alabama. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Vic Wilson, the Executive Director of the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, on how Alabama schools have done after reopening so far, what he's hearing right now from principals and teachers, what a typical day looks like inside Alabama schools now, why the state doesn't require COVID-19 testing for staff or students and the many challenges educators are facing as the semester begins. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

University of Alabama student and photojournalist Hannah Saad on the start of the fall semester amid COVID-19, how the school has kept students updated on information and protocols related to operations and safety and how the campus newspaper The Crimson White is approaching covering this school year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com columnist Kyle Whitmire on Alabama's failure to contain COVID-19 and what that says about us, the people tasked with playing vital roles in keeping each other safe and getting rid of this awful virus. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tuscaloosa businessman Bill Lloyd on closing one restaurant because of COVID-19 and opening another not long after, the difficulty for restaurants to make money during a pandemic and what he considers the biggest challenges facing the industry during this crisis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Reckon South's Desmond Wilson, host of the new Facebook Live show "Black with Covid," on he tested positive for COVID-19, how he could not pin down when he was exposed, the denial and anxiety he felt after his diagnosis and what he wants others to know about the virus' effect on the black community. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gallettes owner Jeff Sirkin on how the bar has coped and operated during the pandemic, how the latest restrictions will affect his business and how they reckon with needing to make money while also playing a part in helping to contain this virus? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Birmingham Landmarks' Glenny Brock and Cindy Mullins talk about how the Alabama and Lyric Theatres have been most impacted during the pandemic, why they need donations more than ever right now, why they remain so vital to the city and what the future holds for the venues. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com senior sports editor and SEC insider John Talty on the SEC talks framing their 2020 plans, what a conference-only schedule would look like, if and how fans will be allowed to attend games and most importantly, if there will be a college football season at all. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On a special episode of "Outbreak Alabama," AL.com reporter Sarah Whites-Koditschek shares what she saw and heard at the memorial for late Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis in Selma, including the precautions taken to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and those who showed up from near and far to pay their respects. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Buffalo Phil's owner Phillip Weaver on how his restaurant is celebrating its 40th anniversary during a pandemic, what the last few months have been like for the business and where he see's Phil's in Tuscaloosa's restaurant culture. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tuscaloosa artist Lorrie Lane discusses managing a popular Facebook group dedicated to keeping the community informed on COVID-19. She discusses how they decide what's appropriate to post, how they manage politics and misinformation, what it takes for someone to get kicked out and how the group has done the community some good during the pandemic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com education reporter Trish Crain on the scramble to reopen Alabama's schools as cases continue to rise, what school days will look like for students who choose in-person or virtual education and which questions remain unanswered for parents and teachers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statewide mask order. We talk to a Shelby County man who does not want to wear one, and a Tuscaloosa woman at higher risk who says she needs us to in order to protect vulnerable people like her. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com reporter Chris Harress recently tested positive for coronavirus. He talks about his symptoms, the psychological toll COVID-19 had on him, how his perspective on the virus personally and professionally and what surprised him about living with it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AL.com data reporter Ramsey Archibald on Alabama's uptick in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and if he can find any good news in the latest data. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.