City of Asheville issued the following announcement on Nov. 28.
Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy announced today that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County has now climbed to 5,558 to date, an increase of 67 new positive cases since yesterday. Additionally, the number of people under mandatory quarantine dropped to 2,311 from 2,480. The five-day average for new daily positives increased to 103.4 from 99.2.
There are now 915 active cases in the county, down from 964 yesterday. So far, 22,740 people have completed quarantine. Of those who completed quarantine, 4,643 of them had tested positive and recovered. Among the new positive cases, 15 had close contact with positive cases, 51 did not have a clear source of infection at this time and one is a healthcare worker or resident of a congregate setting – though not from Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
A new system put into place by Albany Medical Center and St. Peter’s Hospital has improved the way Albany County receives data timely and accurately. A reconciliation of the data found a net of 18 new county residents currently hospitalized, increasing from 43 yesterday to 61 today. Twelve of those were newly admitted on November 25 or later. The reconciliation also found an increase of 45 total hospitalizations ever since the outbreak began, rising from 474 to 519.
There are now six patients currently in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), down from 10 yesterday, and the hospitalization rate is now 1.09%. There were six more COVID-related deaths to report overnight, and all but one were not residents of congregate settings. They include a woman in her 50’s, a woman in her 60’s, a man and woman in their 70’s, and a man and a woman in their 80’s.
“The last time I had to report six new deaths was back on May 4, after we had seen an alarming surge of infections throughout the spring. Since yesterday it was also discovered that the number of county residents hospitalized from the virus has gone up to 61, shattering our previous record of 45 set just a week ago,” said County Executive McCoy. “The threat right now is very real. We need to get the spread of the virus under control before our hospital system is overwhelmed and we lose even more county residents.”
Below is next week’s schedule for Albany County’s COVID-19 mobile testing sites, a collaboration with the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center. Testing is for those experiencing symptoms, essential workers and those returning to work by appointment only, after being screened over the phone. To be screened, please call (518) 465-4771.
Locations & Dates for the Week of November 30 (Please note new location starting Friday, December 4. Drive-thru is encouraged at the Whitney Young and Watervliet locations, but walk-ups are still welcome)
The full updated schedule, along with other testing site options, can be found at the Albany County website here.
Whitney Young Health Dental Building (rear of building) – 900 Lark Drive, Albany (now has drive-thru option)
• Monday, November 30: 1pm – 4pm
Watervliet Administrative Building, 1804 Second Ave, Watervliet (Mobile Site now has drive-thru option)
• Wednesday, December 2: 1pm – 4pm
Times Union Center, (new location) 51 South Pearl St, Albany, NY 12207 (no drive thru option available)
• Friday, December 4: 1pm – 4pm
Community-wide testing continues on the University at Albany (SUNY) campus by appointment only for those with or without symptoms. Appointments may be made by calling the NYS hotline at 888-364-3065 or by visiting the State Department of Health website.
County Executive McCoy continues to highlight the testing site in Albany County at Priority 1 Urgent Care, which also provides antibody testing, located in Hamilton Square at 2080 Western Avenue in Guilderland. Testing will only be provided after appointments are made and after patients come in to be screened for expanded CDC symptoms. To schedule an appointment, you can call (518) 867-8040.
The County Executive also encourages those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to register for the drive-thru community testing site at Rite Aid, 1863 Central Avenue in Colonie. Testing is free for those who are eligible based on CDC guidelines and are at least 18 years old. It’s available between 9am and 5pm, seven days a week by appointment only. Registration is now available at www.riteaid.com. Tests will be conducted from within an individual’s car with self-swab nasal tests and with the help of a pharmacist.
Walgreens is now operating a testing facility at the 41 Holland Avenue location utilizing a self-collection model. Residents will be able to remain in their cars while assisted by pharmacists when necessary. Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, individuals who are 18 years or older may be tested once completing an eligibility assessment at the Walgreens website or at their app. Patients can get their results from PWNHealth.
Price Chopper/Market 32 is piloting a free COVID-19 test program at three of its New York drive-thru pharmacies. Customers can register for a test at the website here and they will get a voucher to go to one of the testing sites on a specific date. Local participating pharmacies are in Latham, Clifton Park and Johnstown. Testing is on Tuesdays from 7am- 9am. Customers won’t leave their car and will administer the test themselves with guidance from a pharmacist. Results will be provided by eTrueNorth within three to five business days. This is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CVS is offering drive-thru testing at select stores. You must register online for an appointment. To do that and find locations offering the drive-thru testing, go to the CVS website.
For the all latest data on COVID testing and results, you can refer to the Albany County COVID-19 Data Dashboard, as well as the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 Tracker.
For those experiencing stress, anxiety or depression during the ongoing pandemic, the Albany County Mental Health Support Line is available seven days a week, from 8am to 5pm at (518) 269-6634. Anyone experiencing a psychiatric emergency should still call the Albany County Mobile Crisis Team at (518) 549–6500. The 24-hour sexual assault hotline number is (518) 447-7716.
Original source can be found here.
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