Alabama’s capital city is now the heart of its pandemic crisis.

A two-week surge in new cases of the novel coronavirus has rocketed Montgomery County past Alabama’s larger counties. On Sunday, it added 147 new confirmed cases to reach a total of 2,791 COVID-19 cases, the most in the state, according to new data from the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Over 1,000 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed over the past 14 days in Montgomery County, a county of about 225,000 people.

Over 400,000 people live in Mobile County, which is now second with 2,697 cases. Over 650,000 live in Jefferson County, which has 2,475 cases.

Fewer people have been tested in Montgomery County, but the rate of positives is much higher here. Nearly 20% of all COVID-19 tests come back positive in Montgomery County, compared to about 10% in Mobile County and about 5% in Jefferson County.

In a Friday news release, the ADPH cited outbreaks at workplaces and long-term care facilities, although it noted that large gatherings during the Memorial Day holiday may have contributed to the surge in new cases.

The state lifted a stay-at-home order April 30 and transitioned to a “safer-at-home” order. That order was amended May 8 to allow for the reopening of restaurants, hair and nail salons and gyms. On June 1, the state allowed athletic facilities and entertainment venues to reopen.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of staying home if possible, keeping at least 6 feet apart from people, wearing masks, washing your hands frequently and avoiding gatherings where you aren’t able to maintain these precautions,” Alabama Hospital Association President Don Williamson said last week. “Montgomery’s cases should not be double that of Mobile or Jefferson County simply based on population size.

“In addition, if we do not make changes in our daily behavior, there’s no way we can avoid increasing numbers of cases and deaths. It’s a real threat, and we believe it’s our obligation to let individuals know the risks and understand what’s going on.”

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed proposed a plan to make mask-wearing mandatory in the city, but he withdrew the idea earlier this month when it failed to gain support among the City Council. He said at the time that he may revisit the proposal if things get worse.

Montgomery County remains under a 10 p.m. nightly curfew that was implemented months ago.

“With the state being open, we’re just trying to look at ways that we can keep the information in front of the public and that we can encourage the public as much as we can,” Reed said. “There’s not a lot of enforcement other than the curfew that we have.

“There may be some more things that we’re looking into right now, as it relates to mandating the use of masks, but there’s not a lot we can do under (state laws).”

ADPH Friday said the following measures need to be taken to reduce transmission:

• Cover coughs and sneezes, do not touch your face, and wash hands often.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even inside your home.
• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others not in your household.
• Use cloth face coverings when in public.
• Clean and disinfect frequently used items and touched surfaces often.