What’s with all the closings? It’s called ‘flattening the curve’
There have only been about 1,660 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed, and fewer than 50 deaths in the U.S. As you’ve probably heard too many times by now, every year the flu sickens millions—nearly 50 million this year—and kills tens of thousands, perhaps as many as 52,000 this season alone. What gives? Why so many extraordinary cancellations, whose costs will tally into the billions, for so few cases? There’s a good reason to “cancel everything.” All these decisions by public officials and businesses are aimed at one goal: slowing down the spread of the virus to avoid overburdening a healthcare system that doesn’t have the infrastructure to handle a sudden surge of tens of thousands of cases at once. Without mass closings, that surge is exactly what will happen, just as it has in Italy. – Forbes
First COVID-19 case confirmed in Montgomery
A Montgomery County man has been confirmed as Alabama’s first known COVID-19 coronavirus case, health officials announced Friday morning. The patient felt ill after returning home of out-of-state travel. – Montgomery Advertiser
Birmingham firm gets $1.5 million in funding
Birmingham legal startup Case Status has raised $1.5 million in funding for growth and development. A software-as-a-service business working with law firms to improve client relations and marketing, Case Status received Series Seed II funding from BIP Capital, a venture investment firm. – AL.com
We may well have legal pot in Alabama before a lottery
After hours of tense debate, the Alabama Senate voted on Wednesday to pass a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state. Lawmakers voted 22-11 in support of the legislation, which would allow qualifying patients to purchase certain medical marijuana products from state-licensed dispensaries. Cannabis intended for smoking or vaping would be prohibited under the proposal, meaning only preparations such as tablets, topicals and certain infused edibles would be available. – Marijuana Moment
Sridhara Gutti named Alabama’s Small Business Person of the Year
Ahead of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration has announced this year’s Small Business Persons of the Year winners – over 50 outstanding small business owners and entrepreneurs from across the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. Sridhara Gutti, owner of Essnova Solutions, Inc. has been selected as Alabama’s Small Business Person of the Year for 2020. – Yahoo
