By Eric Fleischauer 

For the Enquirer  

The COVID-19 death toll in Morgan County hit 100 after increasing by 10 Jan. 6, according to data from the Alabama Department of Public Health. 

Morgan County’s first reported COVID-19 death was May 11. Forty-two new deaths have been reported over the past 30 days.  

Decatur Morgan Hospital had 94 confirmed or presumed COVID-19 patients as of Jan. 5. Eleven were in intensive care, including seven on ventilators. 

ADPH also reported last week the COVID-19 related death of one resident of Limestone County, bringing its cumulative total to 59, and one Lawrence County resident, bringing that county’s total to 44. 

More than half of those receiving tests for the virus in each of the three counties are testing positive for the coronavirus.  

Over the past two weeks, 58.5 percent of Morgan County residents tested had COVID-19; 60.3 percent of tested Lawrence County residents were infected; and 60 percent of tested Limestone County residents had the virus. 

ADPH reported 87 new cases among Morgan County residents last week. Over the preceding week, the county averaged 103 new cases per day. Limestone County had 108 new cases, pulling its seven-day average to 75. Lawrence County had 32 new cases and had averaged 25 new cases per day over week.