Albany County coronavirus update 03/05

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - An Albany County man in his 80s has died after testing positive for coronavirus, officials announced on Friday. A total of 359 Albany County residents have now died after testing positive for the virus since the beginning of the outbreak.

Seven more county residents were hospitalized overnight, a net increase of five which brings the total number of residents requiring hospital treatment to 40. Four of those require treatment in the ICU.

Albany County also announced 91 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, bringing the number of active cases in the county to 540. Of the new cases, 24 had close contact with positive cases, 63 did not have clear sources of infection at this time, and four are healthcare workers or residents of congregate living facilities.

The number of people under mandatory quarantine has decreased from 1,504 from 1,613.

Over 20% of the county has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. Executive Dan McCoy said "equity will always be a priority" when it comes to distributing the vaccine:

“Albany County continues to make progress on vaccinations. So far, we’ve gotten first shots to 20.5% of our population, the second highest rate in the Capital Region and one of the highest rates in New York. And equity will always be a priority in these distributions.

With the help of Mohawk Ambulance, we’re sending hundreds of shots to our minority communities, including a POD at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, and our rural communities, with another POD at Knox Town Hall, where residents don’t have easy access to nearby vaccine sites.

We will also be doing hundreds of vaccinations at the next Times Union clinic tomorrow, reserved only for the 65+ population, with an additional 100 going to the North Albany American Legion and another 400 going to the Watervliet Senior Center over the weekend. These efforts are made possible by working with the Albany County Legislature and the Legislative Black Caucus and I’ve been proud of this partnership."

County Executive Dan McCoy

Residents who want to check their eligibility for the vaccine and sign up for a shot at a state-run facility should use the state's website or call the state vaccine hotline at 1-833-697-4829. For those who would like additional information on vaccinations, or to pre-register for a vaccine appointment through Albany County’s pre-registration tool.

For general information on the vaccine and eligibility, residents can also dial the United Way of the Greater Capital Region’s 2-1-1 hotline.