Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy held a briefing today to report on the county’s efforts to administer the COVID vaccine and control the spread of the Coronavirus. As of yesterday, 54.2% of Albany County’s population has received at least the first dose, and 41.5% has been fully vaccinated. That compares to the statewide first dose vaccination rate of 46.5%, and full vaccination rate of 34.9%. 

For the briefing, the County Executive was joined by City School District of Albany Superintendent Kaweeda Adams and Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Bailey to report on their progress in stopping the spread of COVID and getting faculty and students vaccinated. 

“I’ve been proud to have Albany County partner with these two school districts to get students and staff vaccinated, especially since we know certain parts of the City of Albany and the Town of Coeymans have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the entire county. The faster we can get more students vaccinated, the faster we can get all students back into classrooms where they belong,” said County Executive McCoy.

“We’re constantly looking for new ways to make it as easy as possible for residents to get vaccinated, and today I’m happy to announce that our walk-in vaccination clinics at the County Department of Health have been expanded through the rest of the week. If we get enough interest from the community, we will look to continue them even further into the future,” he continued. 

The City of Albany School District is hosting a second dose clinic for students and staff on May 13, and another first dose vaccination clinic for students on May 20. The Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk School District recently partnered with Albany County and Crestwood Pharmacy on April 24 for a vaccination clinic of their own.

The Albany County Department of Health will be administering free COVID-19 Vaccine – Pfizer (1st dose) – on the following days at the Albany County Department of Health to individuals 16+ years old. No appointments are needed and walk-ins are welcome.  A follow up 2nd dose clinic will be scheduled at the time of the 1st dose appointment. Free transportation is available for anyone at least 60 years old (and a caregiver), by calling the County Department for Aging at (518) 447-7198 in advance.

• Monday, May 3 through Friday, May 7; 9am to 3pm: County Department of Health175 Green Street, Albany

The County Executive also announced that Albany County will be hosting another Pfizer vaccination clinic at the Albany Capital Center, 55 Eagle St, Albany, on Wednesday, May 5. The POD with run from 1:30pm to 3pm, and anyone at least 16 years of age is eligible. You can register in advance at the link here, but appointments are not required and walk-ins are welcome. Those who are 16 and 17 years old will need parental authorization ahead of getting the shot. The second dose has been automatically scheduled for Wednesday, May 26. Free parking is available at the Renaissance Garage at 67 Howard Street and the Times Union Center parking garage. 

County Executive McCoy announced that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County has now climbed to 23,891 to date, an increase of 13 new positive cases since yesterday. The five-day average for new daily positives decreased to 27.2 from 29.2. Please note that our overall case count will fluctuate as CommCare records are transferred in and out of the county. Albany County’s most recent seven-day average of percent positive rates is still at 1.6%, and the Capital Region remains at 1.5%. 

Among the new cases of Coronavirus, eight had close contact with positive cases, five did not have clear sources of infection at this time, and none are healthcare workers or residents of congregate living settings. There are now 262 active cases in the county, down from 282 yesterday. The number of people under mandatory quarantine decreased to 620 from 658. So far, 77,478 people have completed quarantine. Of those who completed quarantine, 23,629 of them had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 25 recoveries since yesterday.

The County Executive reported that there was one new hospitalization overnight, and there are 22 county residents hospitalized from the virus – a net increase of one. There are currently six patients in ICU’s, unchanged from yesterday. There are no new COVID-related deaths to report, and the death toll for Albany County still stands at 375 since the outbreak began. 

For those who would like additional information on vaccinations and vaccination clinics organized by Albany County, please use the link here. Those who would like to pre-register for a vaccination through the county’s pre-registration tool, should use the link here. Residents who want to sign up for a shot at a state-run facility should use the state's website at the link here or call the state vaccine hotline at 1-833-697-4829. Walk-ins are now welcome at state-run facilities for those who are at least 16 years old. For general information on the vaccine, residents can also dial the United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s 2-1-1 hotline.

There are also various pharmacies across the county and the region offering vaccine appointments. Walmart pharmacy locations in Albany and Glenmont and the Sam’s Club in Latham are offering appointments for the Pfizer vaccine. Other Capital Region vaccination locations are in Troy, Schenectady, East Greenbush, Clifton Park, Amsterdam and Catskill. Anyone over 16 years old is now eligible. To make an appointment, please use the online registration at the link here.

Community-wide free testing continues on the University at Albany (SUNY) campus by appointment only for those with or without symptoms. Appointments may be made by calling the NYS hotline at 888-364-3065 or by visiting the State Department of Health website.
 
County Executive McCoy continues to highlight the testing site in Albany County at Priority 1 Urgent Care, which also provides antibody testing, located in Hamilton Square at 2080 Western Avenue in Guilderland. Testing will only be provided after appointments are made and after patients come in to be screened for expanded CDC symptoms. To schedule an appointment, you can call (518) 867-8040.
 
The County Executive also encourages those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to register for the drive-thru community testing site at Rite Aid, 1863 Central Avenue in Colonie. Testing is free for those who are eligible based on CDC guidelines and are at least 18 years old. It’s available between 9am and 5pm, seven days a week by appointment only. Registration is available at their website at the link here. Tests will be conducted from within an individual’s car with self-swab nasal tests and with the help of a pharmacist.
 
Walgreens is operating a testing facility at the 41 Holland Avenue location utilizing a self-collection model. Residents will be able to remain in their cars while assisted by pharmacists when necessary. Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, individuals who are 18 years or older may be tested once completing an eligibility assessment at the Walgreens website or at their app. Patients can get their results from PWNHealth.
 
Price Chopper/Market 32 is piloting a free COVID-19 test program at three of its New York drive-thru pharmacies. Customers can register for a test at the website here and they will get a voucher to go to one of the testing sites on a specific date. Local participating pharmacies are in Latham, Clifton Park and Johnstown. Testing is on Tuesdays from 7am to 9am. Customers won’t leave their car and will administer the test themselves with guidance from a pharmacist. Results will be provided by eTrueNorth.
 
CVS is offering drive-thru testing at select stores. You must register online for an appointment. To do that and find locations offering the drive-thru testing, go to the CVS website.
 
Central Med Urgent Care, 1662 Central Avenue, Colonie offers the rapid antigen test, lab-based PCR and antibody testing. No appointment is required but you can call 518-240-1456 if you would like to make an appointment. Testing is available for children.

For the all latest data on COVID testing and results, you can refer to the Albany County COVID-19 Data Dashboard, as well as the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 Tracker.
 
For those experiencing stress, anxiety or depression during the ongoing pandemic, the Albany County Mental Health Support Line is available seven days a week, from 8am to 5pm at (518) 269-6634. Anyone experiencing a psychiatric emergency should still call the Albany County Mobile Crisis Team at (518) 549–6500. The 24-hour sexual assault hotline number is (518) 447-7716, and the free and confidential online text chat feature can be found at the link here.