ALBANY — There were 20 new cases of COVID-19 in the county and two more fatalities from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Of the new cases, said County Executive Dan McCoy during a press briefing, three more were tied to a large July 4 party on Hudson Avenue in the City of Albany. Five were health care workers, two came back from high risk states, four came into close contact with an infected person and the county is still tracing the origins of six others.
“I was hoping we were going to start going back down again, but unfortunately we went back up to 20,” McCoy said. “And there are probably a lot more from that party because people won’t come forward.”
The party held at a number of households was attended by largely college-age people. Those in the 20s present a particularly bothersome issues because they tend to not become severely ill — or not ill at all — but they still spread the virus. They also tend to want to socialize more and are less likely to follow safety protocols.
As of Wednesday, there have been 2,261 positive cases in Albany County with 759 currently under mandatory quarantine. There are currently 84 active cases with 2,177 people who tested positive and recovered since the beginning of the outbreak. There are three people hospitalized for a rate of .13 percent.
One of the two men who died was in his 80s and the other in his 90s. Both had underlying health issues. There have been 126 Albany County residents who have died since the beginning of the pandemic in March.
Anyone who wants to get tested can schedule an appointment at the state-run facility at SUNY Albany by calling 1-888-364-3065, a county-run mobile testing site by calling 518-465-4771, the Rite Aid at the corner of New Karner Road and Central Avenue in Colonie by signing up online at riteaid.com or Priority One in Guilderland by calling 518-867-8040.
