TU Center to serve as testing site
Tests to begin Thursday
ALBANY, N.Y. » Albany County’s COVID-19 linked death toll increased to 119. According to Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, a woman in her 80s died overnight.
In addition to the death, McCoy confirmed that as of Monday morning, there have been 1,828 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Albany County.
Plus, there are 367 people under mandatory quarantine and one person under precautionary quarantine. Thus far, 5,388 people have completed quarantine, with 1,617 of them having tested positive and recovered.
Presently there are 11 people hospitalized, raising the hospitalization rate to 0.6%.
Albany County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen praised the continued efforts of county residents in reducing the spread of the virus.
“We do know that in other parts of the country we’re starting to see cases increase, so it’s important to continue vigilance and to continue the behaviors that we have taken part in to prevent the spread,” Whalen remarked.
Albany Public Library Executive Director Scott Jarzombek also joined the press conference to discuss how libraries are safely reopening through a phased approach.
“APL staff have returned to the building today. We’re spending the next few weeks kind of getting our buildings ready. Our book drops will be open [Tuesday] if you have material to return,” Jarzombek commented.
Curbside pickup will be avail
able in the next few weeks and visits by appointment will soon follow.
With Phase 3 slated for Wednesday, McCoy was already pressing Gov. Andrew Cuomo to accelerate the movement toward Phase 4.
“While many adults have been able to go back to work, enjoy the local outdoor dining scene and return to a level of normalcy in their lives, it’s important to remember that schools have been shuttered for nearly three months now and children are in need of a similar sense of normalcy and have some fun with friends. That’s why it’s crit
ical we are able to get our libraries up and running safely and why we cannot wait until July 6 for youth sports to resume,” McCoy stated.
“The people of the Capital Region and upstate New York have demonstrated that by and large, they can be responsible and do their part to control the spread of the virus. Our children
should not have to unnecessarily suffer, which is why I’m asking Governor Cuomo to shorten the timeline for the return of youth sports to Phase 4 at the latest,” McCoy added.
McCoy also announced that beginning Wednesday, Albany County and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center will be providing a mobile testing site for
those returning to work at the Times Union Center on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment only. To make an appointment, you will need to call (518) 465- 4771.
The additional test site dates and times for this week are listed below:
Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center - 920 Lark Drive, Albany
• Wednesday – 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Friday – 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Tuesday, June 16, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Watervliet Health Center, 1804 Second Ave., Watervliet
• Thursday, June 18, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Capital South Campus, 20 Warren St., Albany
» Though the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival isn’t happening in its traditional fashion this year, organizers will present a series of streamed concerts called Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Absolutely Live Entertainment, in partnership with Caffè Lena, recently announced the online series, presented in lieu of the 2020 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, previously canceled by the venue due to health and safety concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Headlined by national artists Jon Batiste, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, and Pedrito Martinez, Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions will also feature acclaimed local musicians Chuck Lamb and Jorge Gomez, Garland Nelson’s Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble and the Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio.
Slated for 8 p.m. on June 26, 27, and 28, the series of streamed concerts will include produced videos from the national artists alongside performances from Caffè Lena’s stage by beloved local ensembles.
The festival will be free to experience and hosted through Caffè Lena’s “Stay Home Sessions” YouTube platform.
Kicking- off the virtual festival on Friday, June 26 will be a Cuban-themed evening featuring Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival favorite and Grammynominated, Havana-born music sensation Pedrito Martinez. Martinez will be preceded by
Chuck Lamb and Jorge Gomez performing original music exclusive to the event.
On Saturday, June 27, 15-time Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck - together with his wife, singer, songwriter and banjo player Abigail Washburn - will headline the jazz and folkinspired event, preceded by the Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio, co-presented by the Skidmore Jazz Institute.
Closing out the three- day festival on Sunday, June 28 will be globally celebrated musician, bandleader, and television personality Jon Batiste. Local musician Garland Nelson’s energetic “Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble” will open with a program celebrating the soulful sounds of Detroit.
“Freihofer’s has been a generous and steadfast supporter of Jazz Fest for the last 23 years,” SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol said in a press release. “When presented with the possibility of creating a Virtual Jazz Fest, they didn’t miss a beat – pledging to support our efforts to bring great musicians and audience together despite the challenges of COVID-19.
“Being able to create connection for jazz lovers – and support both national and local musicians, the latter performing from Caffe Lena — is a privilege.”
“Caffè Lena and SPAC have gotten very creative to keep delivering music during the shutdown,” added Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena. “Fortunately for musicians and fans, we’re thinking outside the box to save Jazz Fest this year. I’ve never seen so much cooperation among all players in the music industry.
“It’s clear that underlying all the business and negotiating, most of the industry is fueled by a genuine belief in the positive power of music. It keeps us inspired and determined to get through this crisis together.”
Danny Melnick, president of Absolutely Live Entertainment, considers the Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions “a threenight love letter to our longtime festival devotees and a snapshot of the diversity of artistry and music typically heard at the festival,” he said in the release.
Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions was created as a way to bring the community and Jazz Fest fans together in a celebration of great jazz music following the cancelation of the in-person Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, scheduled for the same weekend at SPAC.
To commemorate the 2020 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, SPAC has also created a T-shirt featuring original artwork by Skidmore College student Isa Hage. All proceeds will support the Equal Justice Initiative. Visit SPAC.org for more details.
“Making this free to the public yet a fundraiser for the Equal Justice Initiative and the crucial work they are doing to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenge racial and economic injustice, and to protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society is an important part of this presentation that we hope people will support,” Melnick continued.
For safety and social distancing purposes, Caffè Lena will remain closed to everyone except essential personnel and musicians. Content will be prerecorded adhering to CDC guidelines.