MONTGOMERY — The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has decreased about 5% in Alabama since last week, a potential sign of improvement in the fight against the pandemic.

However, as of Jan. 26, Cullman Regional was treating 63 covid positive patients, up from 52 the week before. Six patients were on a ventilator, up three from the week before.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, Cullman County is in the High Risk category for overall level of community transmission.

In an effort to boost staffing continuity amid an ongoing wave of cases, Cullman City and County Schools are temporarily increasing rate of pay for substitute teachers as well as other support staff.

City schools superintendent Kyle Kallhoff said the measure is aimed at keeping school staffing level, as the school system continues to prioritize in-person learning while weathering the pandemic. “This new [COVID] variant has hit us hard, not only with our students, but with our employees,” he told The Times.

Statistics from the Alabama Department of Public Health showed 2,805 people were being treated for the illness on Monday, down from 2,961 last Tuesday.

Hospitalizations increase or decrease daily, and some hospitals are still struggling with an influx of illness, patients in intensive care on ventilators and staff shortages. But the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 dropped to a still-high 36% after exceeding 40% for nearly four weeks straight.

The entire state remains in the danger zone with high levels of community transmission, yet the improvement has some health officials hopeful amid a wave of illness linked to the highly-contagious omicron variant and Alabama’s low vaccination rate. About 49% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, and 33% have had booster doses, according to federal statistics.

Moore than 17,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the state, giving Alabama that nation’s fourth-highest death rate from the illness.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.