There Were More Deaths Than Births In Alabama Last Year, A Grim First For The State

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/20/ [login to see] /alabama-deaths-births-2020-coronavirus-surge-vaccination-rate
In 2020, for the first time in recorded history, more people died in Alabama than were born in the state.

"Our state literally shrunk," Dr. Scott Harris, the state's top health official, said at a press briefing last week.

The state saw some 64,714 total deaths last year, Harris said, compared with about 57,641 births. Those numbers are preliminary, and officials will confirm them toward the end of this year.

Alabama hasn't hit such a milestone in more than 100 years, not even during World War II, Harris noted.

The highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus, which is spreading in Alabama as well as much of the country, is what's behind those numbers.

It's putting a strain on critical health care systems in Alabama, as the state currently doesn't have enough ICU beds for those who need them.