#Alabama students partied despite knowing they had coronavirus, officials say

University of Alabama students recently partied around campus — despite knowing they were infected with the coronavirus, a local report said Tuesday.

Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith said he discovered that “students or kids” with “known positives” had been attending parties in the county and city over the last few weeks.

Local outlet WBMA reported that some of the partiers were students at the University of Alabama.

The fire chief made the revelation during an agenda briefing for a Tuscaloosa City Council meeting, where lawmakers later passed an ordinance mandating that people wear masks in public places.

Smith said he believed the information to be a rumor at first — but that doctor’s offices and even the state confirmed it.

There have been 1,986 reported COVID-19 cases in the county and 38 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Statewide, there have been at least 37,536 recorded infections and 926 fatalities — but the average number of daily recorded cases has recently been surging.

More than 850 new cases were reported Tuesday, and 44 people were hospitalized. More than 20 people died, according to data from the Alabama Department of Public Health.