Alabama students holding “COVID parties” with a cash prize to whoever gets COVID first

Alabama students are throwing “COVID parties” and offering a reward for whoever gets COVID.

The Alabama football team had a number of players test positive for the coronavirus when players were tested after returning to campus. Three more players later tested positive as the Crimson Tide tried to stop the spread of the virus through any other members of the team. Auburn, UAB, Troy, South Alabama and colleges across the country will need to work diligently to stop the spread of the coronavirus while attempting to play football.

And now a report from ABC students in Tuscaloosa who have tested positive for COVID-19 are hosting parties with the goal of seeing who will be the first person to catch it.

“They put money in a pot and they try to get COVID. Whoever gets COVID first gets the pot. It makes no sense,” Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said. “They’re intentionally doing it.”

This was confirmed to the City Council by Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith on Tuesday which led to an ordinance requiring people to wear face coverings in public.

“We had seen over the last few weeks parties going on in the county, or throughout the city and county in several locations where students or kids would come in with known positives. We thought that was kind of a rumor at first….we did some additional research….not only did the doctor’s offices help confirm it but the state confirmed they also had the same information,” Smith said.

Smith also didn’t specify what schools the students were from.

Alabama COVID parties put everyone at risk.

When students return to campus at Alabama and throughout the country, parties will happen, people will go to bars and social distancing and following CDC guidelines will go out the window.

This type of behavior puts the health of Alabama football players and students in jeopardy. People may go to these parties not knowing they are sharing space with people who knowingly have the coronavirus.

The ABC report makes no mention if people were infected at these “COVID parties” but McKinstry is trying to stop them.

“We’re trying to break up any parties that we know of,” McKinstry said. … “It’s nonsense. But I think when you’re dealing with the mind frame of people who are intentionally doing stuff like that and they’re spreading it intentionally, how can you truly fight something that people are constantly trying to promote?”

Nick Saban has tried to use his voice and influence as the Alabama football coach to persuade people to wear a mask. Saban appeared in a video with Alabama mascot, Big Al, promoting the use of a mask to keep people safer from the spread of the virus.

And it’s not just something University of Alabama students will need to be concerned about. Auburn, UAB, Troy and South Alabama are the other FBS schools in the state. And then there are the lower-level schools throughout the state that will need to contend with this outbreak.

Wearing a mask has become a politicized issue, but that stance has softened in recent days with Vice President Mike Pence urging Americans to wear masks to keep others safe while President Donald Trump is “all for masks” but thinks the virus will disappear.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey extended the “Safer at Home” order through the end of the month. To date, Tuscaloosa Country has had 2,049 positive cases and 38 deaths. The state of Alabama has had 38,422 cases, including 10,696 in just the last 14 days.

Many of the comments under a Tweet posted by Paul Finebaum were critical of Alabama students.

While others think these parties are being had all over the country.

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