Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy announced today that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County has now climbed to 5,498 to date, an increase of 140 new positive cases since yesterday. Please note that our overall case count will fluctuate as the CommCare records for college students are transferred to the county in which they are isolating for their daily monitoring and then transferred back to Albany County for the final case count.

Additionally, the number of people under mandatory quarantine dropped to 2,480 from 2,714. The five-day average for new daily positives increased to 99.2 from 90.6. There are now 964 active cases in the county, up from 949 yesterday. So far, 22,264 people have completed quarantine. Of those who completed quarantine, 4,534 of them had tested positive and recovered. Among the new positive cases, 19 had close contact with positive cases, 116 did not have a clear source of infection at this time and five are healthcare workers or residents of congregate settings – though not from Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. 

There were four new hospitalizations to report overnight, while the number of county residents currently hospitalized from the virus increased from 41 to 43. There are still 10 patients in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), and the hospitalization rate is now 0.78%. There were no new COVID-related deaths to report since yesterday, and Albany County’s death toll remains at151 since the outbreak began.

“Today’s daily total of positive cases is the second highest on record since the outbreak began, just short of a record 147 on November 14. This number is likely to rise in the coming weeks because of Thanksgiving gatherings and head of the holidays next month. A surge in infections will likely lead to a surge in hospitalizations and likely more deaths,” said County Executive McCoy. 

“In order to better deal with this situation, I’m proud to add the Times Union Center as another testing site through our partnership with Whitney Young. The county facility is an ideal location that allows for social distancing without having to deal with the cold weather, especially for those without cars,” he continued.

On Black Friday – and ahead of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday – County Executive McCoy continues to encourage residents to stay safe while shopping local, and consider patronizing businesses on their online platforms or using curbside pickup. Downtown Albany Business Improvement District has a list online of ways to shop without going into the physical locations. The Lark Street Business Improvement District is also hosting its Lark Street Holiday Market on Saturday.

Below is next week’s schedule for Albany County’s COVID-19 mobile testing sites, a collaboration with the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center. Testing is for those experiencing symptoms, essential workers and those returning to work by appointment only, after being screened over the phone. To be screened, please call (518) 465-4771.

Locations & Dates for the Week of November 30 (Please note new location starting Friday, December 4. Drive-thru is encouraged at the Whitney Young and Watervliet locations, but walk-ups are still welcome)
The full updated schedule, along with other testing site options, can be found at the Albany County website here.

Whitney Young Health Dental Building (rear of building) – 900 Lark Drive, Albany (now has drive-thru option)
• Monday, November 30: 1pm – 4pm

Watervliet Administrative Building, 1804 Second Ave, Watervliet (Mobile Site now has drive-thru option)
• Wednesday, December 2: 1pm – 4pm

 Times Union Center (new location), 51 South Pearl St, Albany, NY 12207 (no drive thru option available)
• Friday, December 4: 1pm – 4pm

Community-wide 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 be reimbursed by an individual’s health insurance, and will be done by appointments only after patients come in to be screened for expanded CDC symptoms. Priority 1 is also now doing antibody testing. 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 now available at www.riteaid.com. Tests will be conducted from within an individual’s car with self-swab nasal tests and with the help of a pharmacist.

Walgreens is now 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- 9am. Customers won’t leave their car and will administer the test themselves with guidance from a pharmacist. Results will be provided by eTrueNorth within three to five business days. This is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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.

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.