Executive discusses virus impact on economy
ALBANY, N.Y. » Albany County Executive Dan McCoy and Albany County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen issued another update on the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday morning.
McCoy announced the county has 309 confirmed positive cases of people with COVID-19, 459 under mandatory quarantine, and 57 under precautionary quarantine.
In addition, 39 people are hospitalized, and 13 of those are in the ICU.
“Until we know where we’re at with more testing and what’s going on when we’re coming to the light
light at the end of the tunnel,” McCoy remarked.
With the State Education Department announcing the cancellation of the June 2020 Regents Exams, McCoy reiterated the seriousness of the situation to parents and kids alike.
“I say to the parents out there, to the students, they canceled regents. I don’t know what more they can tell you?” McCoy said.
“So, they canceled regents. Is school going to be back? I don’t know. What will be the norm date? I’ve said this before, I’m thinking around July before we start kind of coming out of all of this,” McCoy continued.
“I can’t say how important it is for social isolation. If you see the governor, he’s raised the fine to $1,000. From $500 to $1,000, what’s that tell you? People need to take this serious,” McCoy noted on the new penalties for congregating in groups.
“Go online, look at the people this is affecting. To the young kids, go online, it’s not just about people over the age of 60. This has affected younger people in their thirties and their forties and their fifties. Pay attention,” McCoy added on the effect the virus is having on all age groups.
Whalen commented on the status of Albany County hospitals and their capabilities to care for patients.
“The hospitals have not had any issues with surge capacity in Albany County as yet,” Whalen said.
“So this is good, but it is not necessarily a reason for optimism, it may be that is just hasn’t hit us yet,” Whalen cautioned.
Whalen also delved into what the new COVID-19 tests at UAlbany could mean for their data.
“The test center that was set up at SUNY Albany saw between two and three hundred [Monday], not just from Albany County but from the Capital Region,” Whalen said.
“They let us know it’ll be 24-48 hours before we get the results of those back. When we get those results, we’ll know how many Albany County residents came through and how many of those tested positive,” Whalen added regarding when the results will come in.
On the economic front, McCoy outlined how the county is proposing to bounce back, tabbing Kevin O’Connor, the Albany County Director of Economic Development, Conservation and Planning, to generate a strategic economic development plan moving forward. Part of that plan aims to provide relief to local businesses.
“We’ve seen the devastation COVID-19 has brought to local families. People are getting sick and tragically losing their lives. At the same time, people are also having their hours at work cut, losing their jobs, some businesses are going under, and we could be headed for a record-setting recession. That’s why this strategic economic blueprint couldn’t come at a better time,” McCoy said.
“Albany County is the only county in the region that doesn’t have its own economic development entity. This plan will change that with the creation of an independent public-private organization that is free of politics while providing immediate relief to the local community and charting a path forward to restart the economy once this pandemic is over and even further in the future,” McCoy added.
According to McCoy, the development plan completed by Camoin Associates in January consists of short term and long term steps that will fundamentally change the economic trajectory of Albany County.
Aside from forging new public-private organizations, one of the main goals of the plan is a Business Retention and Expansion Program, directing small businesses to available financial resources at the local, state and federal levels.
The hope is the new initiative will fill gaps existing in the county’s economic development ecosystem, aligns regional resources, targets investments around catalytic projects and key infrastructure, transforms the county’s image, and looks to create, retain and attract top talent and industries.