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As numbers continue to rise, a drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic will be offered in Georgiana by the Butler County Health Department to patients who meet the testing criteria and while testing supplies last.

The clinic will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Thursday, June 11, at the First Baptist Church of Georgiana, located at 411 Meeting Ave. No appointment is required.

The testing comes on the heels of Monday’s release of the latest COVID-19 statistics released by the Alabama Department of Public Health that show Butler County with 24 deaths and 455 confirmed cases out of 1,897 total tests. According to ALDPH statistics, Butler County has seen 89 new cases in the past 14 days out of 736 tests.

Statewide, Alabama has seen 714 deaths with four additional deaths listed as probable and 20,590 cases out of a total of 259, 232 tests. In Alabama since March 13, 2,054 people have been hospitalized. There have been 11,395 presumed recoveries since stats started being kept. In the past 14 days, 5,467 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported out of 80,460 tests.

In nearby Lowndes County, the death toll is 13 with one more death listed as “probable.” Lowndes County has seen 290 cases with four additional ones probable out of a total of 865 tested. In the past 14 days in Lowndes County, 89 cases have been reported out of 392 tested.

Of area counties, Crenshaw County has one of the lowest totals with on 88 confirmed cases and three deaths.

Testing will be provided to those who have been referred by a physician. People who have symptoms but do not have a primary care provider can still be tested using the orders of an assigned physician that is provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health.

New criteria for people to be tested include the following additions:

• The patient is a resident (with or without symptoms) of a long-term care facility and the facility has laboratory-confirmed cases in residents or staff, or are
• Hospitalized patients with symptoms
• Healthcare facility workers, workers in congregate living settings, and first responders with symptoms
• Residents in long-term care facilities or other congregate living settings, including correctional and detention facilities and shelters, with symptoms
• Persons without symptoms who have underlying medical conditions or disability placing them at a higher risk of complications, residency in a congregate housing setting such as a homeless shelter or long-term care facility, or screening of other asymptomatic individuals based on a case-by-case review and approval by the state health department or local health jurisdiction.

Symptoms of COVID-19 consist of either cough or shortness of breath (difficulty breathing) or at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell.

Due to the large increase in volume of COVID-19 laboratory results being processed by laboratories (state public health labs, commercial labs, hospital labs, etc.) and sent to state health departments, the national surveillance pipeline is becoming overwhelmed and is causing delays. This has impacted the data that is displayed on this Alabama Department of Public Health dashboard. ADPH is now updating the dashboard once a day at 10 a.m. They hope to update it at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. once this is resolved.

Based on a reduction in telephone call volume after hours, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has shortened the operating hours of its statewide informational hotline for general COVID-19 questions. Effective June 15, the toll-free line will be available from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., seven days a week. If the need presents itself, hours can be readjusted quickly.

The hotline allows the public the ability to speak with someone who can provide information or direct them to a contact who can assist them. A general information email option is also available during these hours.

The toll-free hotline number and e-mail address are as follows:

• COVID-19 General Information – 800-270-7268
• The COVID-19 General Information Email address is covid19info@adph.state.al.us

In addition, a toll-free phone line will continue to provide information about available testing sites and hours of operation statewide. This phone number is 888-264-2256. Callers are asked for their zip code to help locate the site nearest them.

The ADPH website at alabamapublichealth.gov also offers information and guidance about COVID-19 recommendations. Frequently asked questions are answered at alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/faq.html