Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy announced today that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County has now climbed to 20,351 to date, an increase of 77 new positive cases since yesterday. The five-day average for new daily positives has increased to 75.8 from 73.8. Please note that our overall case count will fluctuate as CommCare records are transferred in and out of the county.

The County Executive reported that among the new cases of COVID-19, 26 had close contact with positive cases, 44 did not have clear sources of infection at this time, and seven are healthcare workers or residents of congregate settings. There are now 601 active cases in the county, up from 582 yesterday. The number of people under mandatory quarantine increased to 1,441 from 1,407. So far, 63,653 people have completed quarantine. Of those who completed quarantine, 19,750 of them had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 57 recoveries since yesterday.

There were three new hospitalizations overnight, and there are now 48 county residents currently hospitalized from the virus – a net decrease of five. There are currently six patients in ICU’s, down from eight yesterday. Sadly, there were three additional COVID-related deaths to report: A man and a woman in their 80’s, and a man in his 90’s. The death toll for Albany County now stands at 351 since the outbreak began.

During the briefing, County Executive McCoy was joined by County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen. He was also joined by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives of the State Office of Court Administration Judge Edwina Mendelson, County Department of Mental Health Director Dr. Stephen Giordano and Deputy Albany County Executive Daniel Lynch to announce the new mental health part in the Third Judicial District Court of the City of Albany. 

“I first brought attention to the need for a mental health court in Albany during my State of the County Address in 2016. It’s been a long five years since then, but I couldn’t be more proud to launch this pilot program today, helping to prevent the criminalization of mental illness. Studies have shown that 56% of adults are living with some form of mental health issue that goes untreated. This initiative will be able to divert low-level, non-violent offenders away from incarceration and into the treatment they need,” said County Executive McCoy.

“If we can stop people from slipping through the cracks and reoffending by connecting them with counseling, addiction treatment, medicine management or whatever else they may need, we can potentially stop more serious crimes and make our community safer. This is a victory for equity in the system. There are too many people to thank, but my staff, Judge Breslin, Judge Mendelson, OCA and so many others played indispensable roles in making this happen today,” he continued. 

During the briefing, County Executive McCoy highlighted that through Albany County’s vaccination point of dispensing (POD) clinics at the Times Union Center alone, they have been able to administer more than 5,200 first doses and over 2,200 second doses. Those do not include the 400 sent to the Center for Disability Services, the 100 allocated to Koinonia Primary Care Practice and all those delivered through the Mohawk Ambulance Service partnership. 

Albany County’s vaccine pre-registration tool has been responsible for more than 25,000 total people pre-registering for future vaccine distributions. Among those, 19,000 are Albany County residents, 8,300 are from with the City of Albany specifically, and 3,000 are from the historically underserved communities from the zip codes 12202, 12206, 12207, 12209 and 12210. 

Dr. Whalen announced during today’s briefing that the next vaccination clinic at the Times Union Center will be this Monday. As a reminder, per state guidelines, Albany County is only allowed to administer vaccinations for those that fall into the 1b essential worker category and those with the listed co-morbidities. While some who have already pre-registered for the vaccine will be contacted, residents are still encouraged to use the new registration link that will be posted to the Albany County website here at 5pm today to sign up. 

Residents who want to check their eligibility for the vaccine and 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. For general information on the vaccine and eligibility, residents can also dial the United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s 2-1-1. For those who would like additional information on vaccinations, or to pre-register for a vaccine appointment, please use the link here.

The below link has the schedule for Albany County’s COVID-19 mobile testing sites each week, 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. The full updated schedule, along with other testing site options in the county, can be found at the Albany County website here.

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 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 now 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- 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.