Our COVID Year
March 13, 2020 – March 13, 2021
One year.
It’s been a tough one, that’s for sure.
But we’re here to celebrate what’s about to come.
Our dreams of returning to our regular lives, thanks to multiple vaccines. And research done right here at UAB.
We’re here to celebrate the hope for an economic recovery as it becomes safer and safer to get together again – the way we’re used to getting together.
We’re here to celebrate the joy we’ll feel when we can see each other’s smiles, and masks will only be needed when the virus spikes.
One year, and our fight’s not done yet.
But we’re getting there.
COVID-19 2020-2021: One Year Timeline
COVID-19 2020-2021:
One Year Timeline
March On
While the world slowly woke up to the growing threat of the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 and UAB began its first preparations in January of that year, March 2020 marked the moment at which the coronavirus pandemic reached the U.S., Alabama, and UAB. As we mark the anniversary of our COVID year, we've highlighted the events of March 2020 and the rapid acceleration of our response to the threat. You can follow the complete timeline of UAB's COVID experience below.
- 04 International travel restrictions set in place at UAB, UAB's COVID-19 informational website launched launched
- 11 Pandemic declared by World Health Organization
- 12 UA System makes immediate plans to transition to online or alternate instruction
- 13 Alabama declares state of emergency
UAB surge bed plan prepared, visitor restrictions implemented - 15 to 16 UAB transitions to limited business model for employees in Workgroup A and F and UAB Hospital implements limited business operations, visitor restrictions, essential care visits only
- 18 UAB announces in-person/on-campus classes canceled for rest of spring semester
- 19 1st COVID-19 positive patient admitted at UAB, PCR testing begins
Activities and events on the UAB campus are canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 - 23 UAB's drive-thru COVID-19 mass testing site opens downtown
- 24 Universal masking implemented on UAB campus
Birmingham stay-at-home order issued - 25 1st COVID-positive inpatient death at UAB, in Alabama
December 2019
- 31 China's Hubei province confirmed cases of pneumonia from an unknown cause
January 2020
- 07 World Health Organization identified the outbreak as a new coronavirus
- 21 First confirmed case in U.S.
- 27 Supply Chain identified supply disruption in critical PPE categories and sequestered N95s at UAB
- 30 WHO declared global health emergency
February 2020
- 29 UAB Hospital Incident Command Structure established
March 2020
April 2020
- 08 Summer semester moved to online/remote
- 15 UAB experts including Drs. Vickers and Marrazzo join Gov. Ivey's COVID-19 Task Force
- 28 Alabama issues safer-at-home order
- 30 UAB provided masks for all on-site campus employees
May 2020
- 01 UAB hosted virtual commencement to celebrate spring 2020 graduates
- 04 UAB announced temporary expense reduction strategies due to COVID-19
- 26 UAB announced transition from Limited Business Model to Modified Business Operations
June 2020
- 29 All students to receive free testing prior to coming on campus for the Fall 2020 semester
July 2020
- 01 UAB United campaign launched
- 02 UAB adopts Sentinel Testing
- 15 Statewide mask mandate implemented by Gov. Ivey
- 16 UAB Emergency Department surge plan activated
UAB Hospital reports first day of triple-digit COVID inpatients - 31 UAB mourned the death of UAB Police Sgt. Guyton, who passed away after a more than three-month hospital stay due to COVID
Furlough period for UAB ends
August 2020
- 03 UAB Hospital reaches summer peak of 124 COVID inpatients
- 05 UAB Pathology develops strategy to support GuideSafe™ Entry Testing, process more than 200,000 samples
- 17 Alabama's GuideSafe™ Exposure Notification App launches statewide
- 21 UAB Healthcheck launches
September 2020
- 21 Child Care Assistance Programs announced for UAB Employees, Expense Reduction Strategies ended
- 30 Plans for spring 2021 semester announced, including delayed start to Jan. 19 and canceled spring break
October 2020
- 11 COVID-positive tests among UAB students trends upward (up from 19 to 49 weekly cases)
- 12 Daily Healthcheck requirement for all on-campus students and employees begins
- 16 Restrictions on student gatherings on- and off-campus put in place
November 2020
- 30 Classes resume virtual-only after the Thanksgiving holiday; two planned Wellness Days announced for the spring semester
December 2020
- 12 UAB holds second virtual commencement
- 14 30.2 percent of patients in UAB Hospital are being treated for COVID-19
- 15 First shipment of COVID-19 vaccines [Pfizer] arrive at UAB Hospital
- 18 First COVID-19 vaccines administered to UAB frontline healthcare workers
- 27 UAB Hospital reaches 200+ COVID inpatients for the first time
January 2021
- 03 UAB Hospital reaches winter peak with 226 COVID inpatients
- 04 Limitations for in-person gatherings on campus announced through Feb. 14
- 18 UAB's COVID-19 drive-thru vaccine site at UAB Highlands opens
- 19 Students return to on-campus, remote and hybrid learning for Spring 2021 Semester
- 29 All UAB employees able to register to be scheduled to receive vaccine
February 2021
- 02 UAB's COVID-19 drive-thru vaccine site at the Hoover Met opens
- 08 In partnership with MIT's PathCheck Foundation, UAB launches worldwide, interactive, COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.
- 11 Parker High School COVID-19 vaccination site opens, offering unscheduled walk-up opportunities for members of the surrounding community
- 14 On-campus gatherings restrictions eased
- 17 Of the 59,167 vaccination doses delivered to date by UAB, almost 21 percent of those doses were administered to individuals who self-identified as Black and 33 percent to underrepresented populations
- 25 UAB announces an extra holiday will be offered on the April 14 Wellness Day
March 2021
- 01 UA System announces return to in-person classes beginning for the fall 2021 semester, and UAB announces plans for the summer term
- 15 UAB hosts first wellness day
- 19 UAB's COVID-19 drive-thru vaccine site at Cathedral of the Cross in Center Point opens