As coronavirus cases continue to rise in Alabama, the Department of Public Health warns that many of those cases are serious.
WAAY 31 was in Morgan County, where one health department representative said we need to work together to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Judy Smith from the Alabama Department of Public Health was in Decatur on Monday.
She says the numbers of cases and deaths will continue to rise if we don't wear masks and follow the guidelines to stay healthy.
"The most flu deaths we've had in a year, has been something over 1,200 for the past several years, and right now in Alabama we already have over 1,576 deaths and that's in ... 20 weeks," said Smith
She says employees in Morgan County health care systems are struggling.
"A lot of our folks in the health care system and even first responders system have either had COVID themselves or they have a family member and therefore they're isolated and just flat worn out from the continued process of this," she said.
Smith says she knows it's getting more challenging to manage the virus. In Morgan County, there are currently more than 2,000 cases.
She said she knows more people want to get tested, but the testing turnaround in Morgan County is 5-7 days.
She says avoiding more cases is simple.
"We have a new treatment. It's called M-D-S. Mask, distance and sanitize," she said.
