Alabama to use COVID relief money to hire nurses

Governor Kay Ivey has reallocated over $12 million dollars in Federal coronavirus relief money to hire travel nurses. The goal is to help state hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. The Republican governor announced as the state continues to see a surge in virus cases, mostly with unvaccinated patients. The trend is straining hospital resources and staff. Alabama on Thursday had almost three thousand COVID-19 patients in state hospitals. That’s a number just below the January pandemic peak of a little over 3,000. But the state has a record number of virus patients in intensive care, causing hospitals to covert other areas to make-shift intensive care units. The move reportedly does not address Alabama's low vaccination rate, which healthcare providers say is at the heart of the surge in hospitalizations. Alabama is currently at 36% of its population being fully immunized. Vermont and Massachusetts, by contrast, are both at 60%. APR Gulf coast correspondent Lynn Oldshue just reported on how the COVID crisis is impacting the city of Fairhope. Click below for that story.