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, 56.9% of Albany County’s population has received at least the first dose, and 48.3% has been fully vaccinated. That compares to the statewide first dose vaccination rate of 48.8%, and full vaccination rate of 40%. More information on vaccination rates can be found at the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker at the link here.

County Executive McCoy announced that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County has now climbed to 24,088 to date, an increase of 23 new positive cases since yesterday. The five-day average for new daily positives decreased to 17.4 from 19.6. 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 1.0%, and the Capital Region’s rate remains 1.4%. 

Among the new cases of Coronavirus, five had close contact with positive cases, 17 did not have clear sources of infection at this time and one is a healthcare worker or resident of a congregate living setting. There are now 120 active cases in the county, down from 140 yesterday. The number of people under mandatory quarantine increased to 364 from 358. So far, 78,428 people have completed quarantine. Of those who completed quarantine, 23,968 of them had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 41 recoveries since yesterday.

The County Executive reported that there was one new hospitalization overnight, and there are now 17 county residents hospitalized from the virus – a net decrease of two. There are currently five patients in ICU’s, down one from yesterday. There are no new COVID deaths to report, and the death toll for Albany County now stands at 378 since the outbreak began. 

“I’m extremely excited to announce that Albany County will begin vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds today, now that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the CDC and New York State. We encourage parents and guardians to bring their kids down to our vaccination clinic at the Albany Capital Center from 4pm to 7pm. Not only is this a critical step towards herd immunity, the first 500 kids will get a voucher for a free ice cream cone from Stewart’s Shops,” said County Executive McCoy.

“I also want to take a moment to thank Juliette Price and Alliance for Better Health, who were key partners in our successful pre-registration system and vaccination efforts. This tool helped get 45,000 Albany County residents pre-registered for the vaccine, which ultimately led to 42,000 of them getting successfully vaccinated, while taking some of the stress out of the process. We did this with an eye towards equity, and part of that was focusing on underserved communities and organizing nearly 50 smaller, pop-up vaccine clinics across the county and the region,” he continued.

If you’d like to register for today’s Pfizer first does vaccination clinic today, please use the link here. Walk-ins are welcome. Those who are eligible include anyone at least 12 years of age. Those between the ages of 12 and 15 will have to have a parent or guardian present who will sign a consent form, however, a birth certificate won’t be necessary. Free parking will be available at the Renaissance Hotel parking garage.

Albany County, CDPHP and Focus Churches of Albany are hosting weekly Pfizer vaccination clinics at Emmanuel Baptist Church at 275 State Street in Albany. On Friday, May 14, Friday, May 21 and Friday, May 28, residents can get vaccinated between 10am and 1pm without an appointment. Second doses will be scheduled at the time of the first dose.

Albany County will be administering free Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm, each week at the Albany County Department of Health to individuals 16+ years old. No appointments are needed and walk-ins are welcome.  A follow up second dose clinic will be scheduled at the time of the first 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.

For those who would like additional information on vaccinations and vaccination clinics organized by Albany County, please 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.