ALBANY — The county broke another unwanted record from Thursday to Friday with 168 residents hospitalized. The 29 new hospitalizations broke the former record of 163 set on Jan. 7.
Also, three more county residents died overnight — a woman in her 50s, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 90s — bringing the total to 265 since the pandemic took hold in March. There were 63 deaths in the month of December and 39 since Jan. 1.
With 292 new cases, the number of residents who tested positive also crossed the 15,000 mark from Thursday to Friday — 15,284 residents have now tested positive since March.
Of the 45,442 people who completed quarantine, 13,249 tested positive and recovered, an increase of 209 from Thursday to Friday.
“I know everyone is fatigued and tired and everyone wants life back the way it was prior to March 12, 2020. It is not going back, we just have to keep moving forward,” said County Executive Dan McCoy during a press briefing on Friday. “The vaccine is going to take a couple months to get through 1B so bear with us. We will get there, but it is a marathon and not a sprint. It is going to take some time.”
The vaccination plan is progressing, but not without confusion and delay caused mostly by a shortage of supply.
Dr. Elizabeth Whalen said there have been several fake links send out leading people to believe they scheduled for a vaccination but in reality they have not.
Currently vaccinations are being given to health care workers and nursing home residents, or people in Phase IA. Phase 1B will be teachers, front line workers and those older than 65.
To check eligibility, visit the state website “Am I Eligible” by clicking here or by calling 1-833-697-4829. For answers to vaccination questions call the United Way of the Capital Region’s hotline at 2-1-1.
