ALBANY — There are now 70 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Albany County, 18 more than yesterday.
There are 283 people under mandatory quarantine and 498 under precautionary quarantine, said County Executive Dan McCoy.
In Rensselaer County there are eight confirmed cases
Statewide there are more than 7,100 confirmed cases, leading Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is following California’s lead, to mandate all workers in non-essential jobs and stay home.
There are more than 14,250 confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide.
McCoy has said as more people are tested, the number of confirmed cases will increase. He called on the federal government to supply more test kits, masks and disinfectant wipes.
McCoy also announced, during his daily press briefing on Friday, March 20, the county has created a mental health support line that is operational to help those dealing with stress and anxiety while being forced to stay in their homes.
“It goes without saying that we are living in unprecedented times right now, and the only way that we are going to get through this is if we work together with government and community leaders and lift each other up, especially those adversely affected by this situation,” McCoy said.
The mental health support line is available at (518) 269-6634 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
Anyone experiencing a psychiatric emergency should still call the Albany County Mobile Crisis Team at (518) 549–6500.
For all COVID-19 questions and concerns, residents are encouraged to use United Way’s 2-1-1 hotline as well as the state Department of Health’s hot line at 888-364-3065.
If you would like to volunteer for the Albany County Medical Reserve Corps to help the response to COVID-19, visit the county website to register. The Department of Health has a higher demand for especially looking for help answering phones and making calls to residents under quarantine.
For additional assistance, you can call the Department of Health’s MRC coordinator at (518) 447-4610.
