ALBANY — The county will extend its prolific COVID-19 testing ability to two surrounding counties and to privately run nursing homes.
“We have our people trained to do the testing ourselves so I don’t have to rely on the state coming in. We can test someone the minute we think someone is wrong or even if there isn’t and we want to test employees to make sure everyone is healthy,” County Executive Dan McCoy said of a state request for counties to test at nursing homes. “I am concerned with Shaker Place and Teresian House and we want to be there for them and their loved ones in the nursing homes.”
Meanwhile, an Albany County man in his 50s died from Saturday to Sunday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 47.
All but two were over the age of 60 and all but one had underlying health issues.
There are 1,199 total confirmed cases in Albany County, up 14 from Saturday, with 1,091 under mandatory quarantine, up 34, and 10 under precautionary quarantine, down one.
There are 30 people hospitalized for a rate of 2.5 percent. As the number of confirmed cases increases, the hospitalization rate will decrease since only a small percentage of people are sickened bad enough to require hospital care.
Statewide, the number of hospitalizations is below 10,000 for the first time since the middle of March, the number of new cases is below 800, and the three-day hospitalization rate is down. The number of fatalities from Saturday to Sunday was 280 with 29 in nursing homes.
Albany county has “aggressively” tested at its nursing home, Shaker Place, since the middle of March. As of Sunday, 48 Shaker Place residents and 25 employees have tested positive. Nine of the employees have recovered and gone back to work.
As of Wednesday, April 29, there were 154 residents and 55 employees at eight nursing homes in Albany County who tested positive.
Albany County, which has proven to be the most prolific county in the Capital District in obtaining and administering tests, will also extend that courtesy to Rensselaer and Schenectady counties.
See below for locations of the testing sites this week. Only people who are showing signs of COVID-19 — cough, fever, chills, muscle aches or pains, loss of taste or scene and shortness of breath — can get tested at this point in time.
TESTING
Testing continues at the state run site on the UAlbany campus. To get a required PIN call 888-364-3065.
Rite Aid is conducting tests at its drug store at Route 155 and Central Avenue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. To make a reservation visit riteaid.com
To get a test at a county operated testing site call 518-465-4771.
Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center at 920 Lark Drive in Albany
- Monday: 8:30 a.m. to noon
- Tuesday: 1 to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to noon
- Thursday: 1 to 4 p.m.
- Friday: 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Rotating Locations & Dates for the Week of May 4
Monday, May 4
- Watervliet Health Center, 1804 Second Ave. from 9 a.m. to noon.
- Equinox, 500 Central Ave 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 5, 9 am – 12 pm
- Front of the County Administration Building, 1000 Seventh Ave. in Troy from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 6
- Equinox, 500 Central Ave. from 9 a.m. to noon
- Watervliet Health Center from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Thursday, May 7
- Capital South Campus, 20 Warren Street in Albany from 9 a.m. to noon
- Front of Rensselaer City Hall at 62 Washington St. from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Friday, May 8
- Whitney Young Health Center, 849 Second Ave. in Lansingburgh from 9 a.m. to noon
- Watervliet Health Center from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Other sites in Albany are at Priority 1 Urgent Care, located in Hamilton Square at 2080 Western Ave. in Guilderland and the Capital Region Health Park in Latham. Priority 1 is only testing patients after they are screened for symptoms. An appointment can be had by calling 518-867-8040. Likewise, Community Care Physicians is operating the drive thru site for its patients.
