MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama and much of the Deep South are seeing a spike in coronavirus cases, concerning public health officials and people like state Rep. Merika Coleman who have lost loved ones.
Over the past two weeks, Alabama had the second highest number of new cases per capita in the nation. South Carolina was fourth. Louisiana and Mississippi were also in the top 10.
The combination of preexisting health conditions and limited health care access in the region, along with pockets of public skepticism about health officials’ advice on the illness, complicate attempts to manage the virus.