Mccoy: 24 deaths added to toll

Cases previously reported to state added to county tally

Albany County Executive Daniel P. Mccoy said Saturday that 24 more COVID-19 deaths have been added to the county’s toll, which had been reported to the state but not the county Health Department.

They came from three private nursing homes between April 21 and May 26. Those succumbing were 21 women and three men: one in their 50s, two in their 70s, three in their 80s, 16 in their 90s and two over 100. This brings the county’s new death toll to 111, he said. Mccoy said since the deaths had already been included in all state metrics, it does not hinder the county’s ability to transition into the phase two reopening. The county is one of several included in the Capital Region area looking forward to the next step of reopening.

Hospitalizations dropped from 27 to 20. The number in intensive care units remains at three.

There were two new cases since the Friday update, making the total number of confirmed cases 1,688. There are 682 in mandatory quarantine. The county’s recovery rate is nearly 80 percent.

The county executive said it’s also clear that mobile testing sites are not being used as much as they were at first when we first launched the initiative, which is why the county is expanding its criteria to get tested for essential workers and those returning to work in minority communities. He said he’s asked community leaders to help with the outreach so the neighborhoods know that testing is available.

Schenectady County reported another death, a man in his 70s, bringing the total to 32. The number of positive cases has risen to 679 .

Ten people remain hospitalized and the number of people in quarantine is down to 355.

Five new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed to the Rensselaer County Health Department, the county announced on its Facebook page Saturday, bringing the total number to 515. There are now six residents in the hospital and none in ICU.