Officials celebrate Juneteenth at pandemic briefing
ALBANY, N.Y. » Albany County Executive Dan McCoy touched on an array of topics during his daily pandemic press brief, Friday morning.
As of Friday morning, there have been 1,847 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Albany County. Additionally, there are 138 people under mandatory quarantine and one person under precautionary quarantine. Thus far, 5,553 people have completed quarantine, with 1,811 of them having tested positive and recovered.
Presently, six people are hospitalized, with one person in the ICU. The hospitalization rate is now 0.32%, which is down slightly from 0.43% announced at Thursday’s briefing.
In honor of Juneteenth and ahead of their celebration tomorrow, African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region Executive Director Travon Jackson was also part of the briefing to discuss the importance of the holiday, which was made an official county holiday through executive order by McCoy on Thursday.
“Just as we celebrate our freedom and liberty that so many Americans fought and died for,
we must also recognize the true beginning of freedom and liberty of African Americans, which did not happen until more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation,” McCoy stated.
“Our country and our county are at a crossroads. This needs to be a time of listening, action, and healing, and I’m thrilled to have a true leader like Travon Jackson and his organization who are bringing our community together tomorrow to celebrate Juneteenth and to heal,” McCoy added.
Juneteenth, which has been recognized since 1865, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration for the official ending of slavery and the Civil War in the United States. The holiday has also become a day to recognize the sacrifices, contributions, and culture of African Americans across the country.
Jackson spoke about Saturday’s Juneteenth celebration at the African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region. It will be from noon to 3 p.m. and include a dedication of their reflection garden and soul food dinners will be given out.
As the Capital Region entered Phase 3 of reopening, 56 people who were either symptomatic or returning to work got tested at Albany County’s mobile walk-up testing site at the Times Union Center yesterday. To date, the partnership with Whitney Young,
Jr. Health Center has carried out 2,128 tests throughout the Capital Region.
Next week’s test schedule and sites are listed as follows:
Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center - 920 Lark Drive, Albany.
• Monday – 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday – 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Friday – 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Rotating sites are: • Tuesday, June 23, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Watervliet Health Center,
1804 Second Ave., Watervliet.
• Thursday, June 25, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Times Union Center, 51 South Pearl St., Albany.