ALBANY — December began where November left off with 159 new COVID cases, a new one-day record, and there were 76 residents hospitalized, also a new record.
Also, two women, both in their 90s, died from Monday to Tuesday, bringing the total death toll to 160. It is the 10th death in a week and the 18th since Nov. 1, said County Executive Dan McCoy. The previous one-day record was 147 positive cases on Nov. 14.
As of Wednesday, there were 5,881 positive cases county wide with a five-day average for new positive cases increasing to 112.2 from 100.4. There are 910 active cases in Albany County with 112 people who recovered since Tuesday.
With the six new admissions, for a net gain of four, the hospitalization rate is 1.29 percent.
“This is the fifth time in just over a week we set the record number of residents in the hospital,” he said.
The eight-county Capital District region is one of the last to not be home to a microcluster — a hot spot where the state imposes more restrictions than are now in effect.
A microcluster zone is at the state Department of Health’s discretion and could be any county, municipality, zip code, census tract or neighborhood.
“We have yet to see the full effect of Thanksgiving and we have holidays coming up so we will likely to see our infection numbers go up. “the best way to avoid becoming a microcluster is to go out less,” McCoy said. “This is especially true now that the weather is getting colder and more people are spending time in doors.
On Nov. 29, the last day the numbers were solidified, Albany County’s positivity rate was 4.1 percent while the eight-county Capital Region’s positivity rate was 3.24 percent. The old metric that would send an area into a microcluster was based on a seven-day rolling average of 3 percent positivity or greater for 10 consecutive days. McCoy said the state has changed the metrics to focus more on the death rate, hospital care and the availability of beds.
The new metrics are much more involved and McCoy said he will know more on where Albany County and the Capital District stands later Tuesday.