Alabama Reports 255 New Coronavirus Cases; Deaths At 629

BIRMINGHAM, AL — The number of new coronavirus cases reported in Alabama reached 17,614, an increase of 255 new cases from the day prior, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

It's the first time in four days that the state saw less than 500 new cases.

In the past 14 days, Alabama has reported 2,700 new cases out of the 82,331 tests the state has completed. In total, Alabama has tested 217,264 residents.

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Earlier this week, state health director Dr. Scott Harris said the large spike in daily cases was concerning.

"We know that ADPH and partners we work with have managed to increase the number of tests we're doing throughout the state," he said, "but that doesn't account for the case numbers that we're seeing, or certainly doesn't completely account for it."

In the last two weeks, Alabama's number of new cases each day has increased at a rate faster than 46 other states in the country, and as the state continues to reopen, this trend may get worse, Harris said.

Follow the coronavirus in Alabama using the Department of Public Health's Data and Surveillance Dashboard.