Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy provided the latest report on the county’s progress on vaccinations and controlling the spread of the Coronavirus. As of yesterday, 71.3% of all Albany County residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and 65.5% have been fully vaccinated. The first dose vaccination rate for the county’s 18+ population is now up to 82.4%.  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 total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County is now at 28,649 to date, with 106 new positive cases identified since yesterday. The county’s five-day average of new daily positive cases is now up to 86.4. 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 now up to 3.9% and the Capital Region’s average rate remained at 3.7%.

Among the new daily cases of COVID identified in the county, 26 had close contacts to positive cases, 76 did not have clear sources of infection at this time, and four are healthcare workers or residents of congregate living settings. There are now 503 active cases in the county, down from 505 yesterday. The number of people under mandatory quarantine decreased to 768 from 879. So far 89,872 people have completed quarantine to date. Of those who completed quarantine, 28,146 of them had tested positive and recovered – an increase of 104 additional recoveries.
 
The County Executive reported that there were five new hospitalizations since yesterday, and a total of 32 county residents are still hospitalized with the virus – unchanged from the last update. There are now nine patients in ICU’s, a net increase of three. There are no new COVID deaths to report, and the death toll for Albany County still stands at 402 since the outbreak began.

“We continue to see the majority of those who are hospitalized with COVID are unvaccinated. Of the 32 residents in the hospital right now, 56.2% have not gotten a single shot, 3.1% are partially vaccinated and 40.6% are full vaccinated. And when you look at the combined data over the last month of our reporting, nearly 66% of all hospitalizations were unvaccinated individuals and 31% were fully vaccinated,” said County Executive McCoy. “The data is clear – the more people that get the shot, the fewer the people that will get sent to the hospital with potentially life threatening complications.”

Between September 19 and September 25, a total of 529 new COVID infections were identified by the Albany County Health Department. Of those analyzed, 236 were fully vaccinated, 252 were not and for 41 cases, the vaccination status was unknown or the individual declined to respond. Vaccine status is self-reported by the individual case and provided without regard to the timing of vaccine administration and onset of illness. This data is provisional and subject to change as additional information is received.


Upcoming Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics (all offering Pfizer vaccine):
  
Saturday, October 2, 10am to 12pm
Breakfast with Grand Street Community Arts
68 Grand Street, Albany, NY 


Albany County continues to deliver vaccines to homebound residents, which includes seniors, disabled individuals, those lacking childcare and those with other accessibility issues. Anyone who would like to schedule a time for a vaccine appointment should call (518) 447-7198.
 
Residents can also receive free Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines Monday through Friday, 9am - 3pm, each week at the Albany County Department of Health, 175 Green Street. The 12+ population is currently eligible. No appointments are needed and walk-ins are welcome.  Those 12 to 15 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 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 in advance at (518) 447-7198.
 
For those who would like additional information on vaccinations and vaccination clinics organized by Albany County, please use the link here. Residents who want a shot from 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 welcome at state-run facilities. For general information on the vaccine, residents can also dial the United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s 2-1-1 hotline or the Albany County Department of Health at (518) 447-4580.

COVID-19 testing continues to be available throughout Albany County and the Capital Region. Help finding a testing site near you can be found at the New York State website here and the Albany County website here.