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In a press release, Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy reported today that there were 45 new positive cases yesterday and that the County’s COVID-19 pandemic total is now at 61,933 positive cases.  The County’s seven-day average of new daily positive cases decreased from 54.8 to 51.0 cases. 
 
County DOH reported that there were four COVID-19 hospitalizations overnight and that the number of hospitalized County residents increased by two to now 30 patients.  There are still four patients in the ICU.  The County reported the COVID-related death of a man in his 90’s that raised the County’s pandemic death toll to 528.  The County Executive added:
 
It saddens me to have to report another Albany County resident losing their battle with COVID.  My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones as they grieve.  Every death is a tragedy and this virus continues to take lives, even now as we continue to make progress.  The best protections we have against the worst illnesses caused by the Coronavirus are the vaccine and the booster shot, and they are both widely available.  We continue to offer daily vaccination clinics at our County Health Department, as well as vaccine deliveries for homebound individuals and community pop-up clinics at local schools.
 
State DOH reported that the County’s rate for one vaccine dose as of yesterday was 81.0% of the County’s total population and 89.5% of the adult population, and the County’s rate for full-vaccination was 73.6% for the total population.  The State’s rate for one dose was 88.8% for the total population and 95.0% of adults, and the State’s rate for full-vaccination was 75.4% for the total population. 
 
The State’s COVID-19 website reported that yesterday’s results for 121,988 tests Statewide were 2,320 or 1.9% positive, with the seven-day average decreasing to 1.9%.  The Capital Region had 6,705 tests of which 150 or 2.2% were positive, with the seven-day average decreasing to 3.4%.  The County had 1,676 tests of which 31 or 1.8% were positive, with the seven-day average decreasing to 2.8%.  

Governor Hochul announced today that the State’s positive rate for tests was 1.90%.  Other COVID-19 data included new hospitalizations (2,128, -146), new admissions (246), ICU patients (358, -19), intubations (196, -2), and deaths (31).

Just as Albany County was about to clear CDC’s threshold for recommending facemasks in indoor settings, the CDC today announced new guidance that jettisons its reliance upon a community’s infection rate, and now uses more broad based data including hospital admissions, numbers of hospitalized COVID patients, and a community’s number of new positive cases.  The guidance is a shift from its longstanding goal of reducing infections to now preventing health care systems from being overwhelmed and also protecting people at high risk for severe illness.

Under the new guidance, communities can have “low,” “medium,” or “high” levels of risk.  Albany County now has a “medium” level at which CDC states that “if you are at high risk of severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.”   The CDC also changed its guidance for schools and is only recommending universal facemasks in communities with a “high” infection rate.  The old guidance had provided that residents in more than 95% of the nation’s counties should wear facemasks indoors.  Under the CDC’s new guidance, most counties or about 70% of the nation’s residents would not have recommendation for facemasks indoors.    

While we did not get the foot of snow that some had predicted and many more had wanted, there should be more than enough accumulated snow for Parks & Recreation staff to start grooming cross-country ski trails at the Western Turnpike Golf Course for your enjoyment this weekend.  No site preparation is needed for snowshoeing on miles of hiking trails at the Vosburgh Open Space, Albany Pine Bush Preserve, and trails in Town parks.  Sledding conditions should also be great this weekend at the Winter Recreation Area.  More information about winter recreation opportunities is available on the Parks & Recreation’s webpage. 

I hope that you have an enjoyable and relaxing weekend.

Thank you for staying safe and calm.
 
Peter G. Barber
Town Supervisor