Albany County Executive declares Juneteenth as county holiday during daily briefing

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — During his daily briefing, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy signed an executive order declaring Juneteenth as a county holiday moving forward.

Juneteenth is the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  The holiday dates back to June 19, 1865 when the Union soldiers landed on Galveston, Texas with news that the war ended and the slaves were freed.

It happened two an a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

“Peaceful protests can get a lot done,” McCoy said.

In coronavirus related news, the county only reported four new cases of the virus since Wednesday. The county’s total number of positive confirmed cases is at 1,841.

He said there has been no one in intensive care in eight days.

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