A senior advisor for the Biden administration declined to weigh in on whether Alabama could -- or should -- see additional restrictions if COVID-19 cases continue to increase.
Dr. Cameron Webb, senior policy advisor for COVID-19 equity on the White House response team, told AL.com’s Ivana Hrynkiw in a video interview Friday that the current recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be enough to keep the disease in check -- for now.
“The guidance is that if you’re vaccinated, then you’re protected and you should be okay,” Webb said. “And if you’re not vaccinated, you should wear a mask and maintain distance.
“And so that’s the current best guidance based on the science that tells us what people should be doing at this moment to make sure that they stay safe and make sure their communities stay safe and make sure we continue to move forward in ending this pandemic.”
But there’s a catch, the looming question hanging over everything: What to do if Alabama’s case numbers and hospitalizations continue to climb? The Delta variant of COVID-19 is more easily transmissible than other strains of the virus, and now accounts for more than half of U.S. cases.
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, head of UAB’s infectious disease division, warned this week that Alabama might have to consider restrictions if COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to increase and vaccination rates remain low. UAB Hospital was down to just five COVID patients on June 25, but that increased to 24 patients by July 5.
Alabama is now last in the country in vaccine rates, having been passed by Mississippi late this week, and Alabama hospitals report that 94% of patients hospitalized with COVID were not vaccinated.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said the state was “open for business” and “moving forward” in response to an article on Marrazzo’s comments. Ivey also encouraged Alabamians to get the vaccine.
Webb did not speculate on what restrictions could be needed, saying that it would be a decision for state and local leadership.
“I think that if we do get to that moment, it’s going to be a really important conversation, you know, for the state and local leadership about what else could we be doing to stem the tide,” Webb said. “But I think for now we’ve got the kind of guidance that we need to keep communities safe.”
Webb said the White House was continuing to work on vaccine hesitancy among communities with low uptake, including Alabama. He said many people are still unsure about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and that outreach programs could help answer some of those questions.
“We have to have those conversations, that has to be the next step in order for folks to get the information they need to make that decision,” Webb said. “And if ultimately they decide they don’t want to get vaccinated anyway, knowing the facts, knowing the science, then we just need to encourage them to make sure they’re doing their part by wearing a mask, maintaining distance until this is over.”
You can watch the full video of Webb’s interview in the clip above.
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July 10, 2021 at 04:38AM
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Current COVID guidance in Alabama enough ‘for now,’ White House advisor says - AL.com
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