The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Alabama has decreased about 5 percent since the last week of January, according to statistics from the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Athens Limestone Hospital has seen a decrease in overall COVID patients from last week with no change in the number of patients admitted to the ICU and on ventilators. However, the number of patients hospitalized today remains more than twice as many as one month ago.

On Friday, Feb. 4, ALH reported having 24 COVID patients compared to 30 one week ago. Six patients were in the ICU — the same as one week ago. Four of those patients are on a ventilator. One month ago, ALH reported having just 11 COVID patients with five in the ICU (one on a ventilator).

In Alabama, “Things are not getting worse,” said Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association. The numbers reported by ALH indicate that Athens and Limestone County are experiencing the same trend seen around the state.

As of Jan. 31., all of Alabama remained in the danger zone, with high levels of community transmission. The decrease has some health officials hopeful de- spite a high number of illness linked to the highly-contagious omicron variant and Alabama’s low vaccination rate. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, more than 17,000 people have died from the virus in Alabama. The state ranks fourth-highest in the nation in death rate from the illness.