Albany County reports 1,003 cases since Thursday
Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy announced a shocking 1,003 new COVID-19 cases since Thursday.
The county executive was joined by St. Peter’s Health Partners Chief Medical Director of Acute Care Thea Dalfino, M.D. and Albany County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen to discuss the latest surge of new COVID infections, the Omicron variant and what impact there may be on local hospitals in the coming weeks.
“With 1,003 new COVID infections identified in the county since yesterday, it’s clear we’ve entered an alarming new phase of the pandemic. The last record for daily infections was 471 which we reported just two days ago, and these concerning numbers don’t reflect at-home tests for the most part and are likely much higher. It’s still unclear what kind of impact this unprecedented infection rate will have on our hospitals, but as Dr. Dalfino said, infections among hospital staff is creating a strain on an industry that is already short staffed,” McCoy said.
Officials said 78.9% of all Albany County residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and 71.6% have been fully vaccinated. The first dose vaccination rate for the county’s 18+ population is now up to 87.9%.
McCoy announced that the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County is now at 41,330 to date, with 1,003 new positive cases identified since Thursday. The county’s seven-day average of new daily positive cases is now up to 404.8. Albany County’s most recent seven-day average of cases per 100,000 is up to 94.9 and the Capital Region’s average of cases per 100,000 is now up to 90.9.
McCoy reported that there were 15 new hospitalizations since yesterday, and there are now 66 county residents currently hospitalized with the coronavirus — a net increase of six. Seven of those hospital patients are in ICU’s, unchanged from yesterday. There are no new COVID deaths to report, and the death toll for Albany County still stands at 470 since the outbreak began.
“I realize many people will be celebrating New Year’s tonight, and if you are, we are encouraging everyone to do so safely in smaller groups, ideally with vaccinated individuals. We are likely to see an even larger spike in COVID infections after the holiday, and we want to keep that under control to the extent possible. Moving forward, I hope people continue to wear masks, get vaccinated, get the booster and get tested as much as possible,” he continued.
McCoy continues to encourage residents to submit the positive results of at-home COVID testing on the county website, and they should utilize the online submission link here, or visit the Albany County website here.
Residents can receive free Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines (including booster shots) Monday through Friday, 9am — 3pm, each week at the Albany County Department of Health, 175 Green Street. Aside from Wednesdays,