COVID record toppled again
Albany County sees 269 new cases; officials warn against travel
There were 269 new positive coronavirus cases recorded overnight in Albany County, breaking, once again, the previous record and indicating that the county is now entering the “surge upon surge” phase of the pandemic, which local health officials repeatedly warned would mean more deaths and more strain on hospitals.
In addition to the new cases, four residents died after contracting the virus. Thursday ’s caseload marked the fourth day in a row that
cases exceeded 200, and the ninth time this month.
“We were here on Thanksgiving talking about the possibility of a surge upon surge, and we’re there,” said Dr. Elizabeth Whalen, Albany County’s health commissioner. “We are seeing the exponential rise in cases that we were afraid of on Thanksgiving.”
The latest to die from the virus were all men. Two were in their 50s, one in his 60s and one in his 70s. One of the men in his 50s had no underlying health issues, said County Executive Dan Mccoy. Their deaths mean 200 people have now died from the coronavirus in the county, and over 500 people have died from COVID -19 complications across the eight counties that comprise the Capital Region.
In the last 30 days, 52 people have died from coronavirus in the county, Mccoy said.
“It’s a hard enough time in the world that we’re in — it’s even harder when you lose somebody,” Mccoy said. “The numbers are very alarming.”
Of the 269 cases, 38 had close contact with an infected individual, seven are health care workers and 224 didn’t have a clear source of infection.
The number of people hospitalized decreased from 110 on Wednesday to 106 on Thursday, but there were still 14 new patients hospitalized overnight.
Whalen said people who are contemplating whether to leave the house and spend Christmas with people who don’t reside in the immediate household need to make a sacrifice this year and “stay home.”
“Stay home to protect your family. Stay home to protect the community,” Whalen said. “Every single one of us has individual responsibility. … What we’re seeing is a great deal of spread.”
During a meeting on Wednesday morning between Mccoy and Philip Calderone, CEO of the Albany International Airport Authority, Mccoy said Calderone recommended no one travel right now and that people stay out of the airports because of the rising number of cases.
Mccoy said that “when you hear the CEO of an airport saying that,” it means the local coronavirus situation is serious.
Whalen urged people to avoid traveling via air and to simply celebrate the holidays with immediate family who live in the same household.
“It is good news that the vaccine is available,” Whalen said.
“But it will take time, it will take a long time before we can vaccinate the general public.”
Whalen said there are people in their 20s who are hospitalized because of the coronavirus.
“It is an easy virus to catch. It is a virus that can be very dangerous,” Whalen said.
The spread the county is seeing means residents need to remain patient and vigilant with social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing guidance from health officials.
“Nobody wants to have the regret afterward that had I made a different choice, things would’ve been different for my family,” Whalen said. “It’s a difficult message to give on Christmas and during the holiday season, but it is a necessary message.”
Elsewhere in the region, Rensselaer County reported 69 new cases of the virus overnight and the death of a 70-year-old Troy man from COVID -19. The county has now lost 80 residents to coronavirus since the pandemic began.