UA: Over 60% Of Students Have Received At Least One Vaccine Dose

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Less than a week before the Alabama Crimson Tide is set to see Bryant-Denny Stadium return to full capacity with no public health protocols in place, The University of Alabama System says more than 60% of students on the Tuscaloosa campus have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

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The UA System also reported 72% of its faculty and staff had received at least one dose.

As of Tuesday's update, 126 UA students and 31 employees had tested positive for COVID-19 during the testing period of Aug. 30-Sept. 5.

While Tuesday's numbers represented the third straight week for the Tuscaloosa campus to identify more than 100 new cases among students, the most recent testing period did see a decline from the previous week when 194 new cases were confirmed.

To date, the University of Alabama's Tuscaloosa campus has administered 17,554 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Saturday will see the Crimson Tide play its home opener against Mercer, as officials expected Bryant-Denny Stadium to be at 100% capacity. Fans will not be required to wear masks or show proof of vaccination to enter the stadium. This is worrisome considering that still less than half of the population of the Tuscaloosa metro area is unvaccinated against COVID-19.

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