Concerns About Reopening Alabama

Alabama could begin to re-open for business on May 1st, but doctors are concerned that doing so without precautions could lead to a spike in the spread of coronavirus.

Joining us this evening.

I'm dan shaffer.

Alabama could reopen for business in ten days.

We're committed to making sure you know what to expect the today huntsville mayor tommy battle expects the number of coronavirus cases to jump whenever stores start to reopen again.

>> mayor battle: as we intermingle and get back together, there will be more cases of covid-19.

With more cases of covid-19 there will be people who want to shut everything back down.

There will be people who accepting of that.

>> dan shaffer: waay 31 sydney martin is live at huntsville hospital after learning from the ceo about the possibility r possibility for that spike and what it's doing the prepare.

Sydney?

>> dan, huntsville hospital ceo david spillers told me today that the number of condition firmed cases in madison county seem to have peaked.

And the hospital is considering getting back to business and starting back up elective surgeries in the beginning of may.

But he said he's very cautious about reop reopening.

>> mr. spillers: concerned if we ever got in a situation like new york.

I'm concerned about marshall county right now.

Just when you look at the number of cases relative to their population and if those are conv converted to inpatients owrk patients will fill up quickly.

>> monday huntsville hospital ceo david spillers laid out his concerns about governor kay ivey easing social restrictions too soon.

He believes the number of coronavirus spiked in madison county but warned that could change quickly.

>> mr. spillers: a large nursing home, assisted living facility, and we've got some large ones here.

You get 2 or 300 cases in one of those and it totally changes all the good work that we've done to this point and all the good numbers that we've got to this point could change very quickly and we could get a lot of patients and a lot of inpatients and potentially a lot of inpatients and that's when we start using resources that then won't be available to do elective surge rises and other things.

>> spillers thinks we need rapid test before easing restrictions.

So is the accuracy of antibody testing.

>> mr. spillers: we don't know if you've got the antibody how long the antibody lasts.

23 you got the antibody test today r you good for a year, a month, week?

We don't know.

>> i asked spillers what is needed before governor kay ivey eases restrictions.

>> mr. spillers: when we submitted our plan to the state on -- they asked us like they did other businesses, what do you need to open back up and what would it mean to you?

And one of the things that we put in our plan or recommendation to them was, if we see a major spike, we need to be able to stop things.

>> tonight spillers said the number of cases in madison county are not rising like they were weeks ago.

Right now he said there is one patient in huntsville hospital, here in madison county, that has coronavirus and is on a ventilator.

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