Albany County Executive Dan McCoy hosted his first live COVID briefing in seven weeks on Monday morning, with local cases on the rise.
McCoy says COVID numbers "have taken a turn for the worse" and Albany County is heading into a fifth coronavirus wave. The Democrat thinks part of the problem is national media reports that COVID has dropped.
“But I think what has changed is that people feel because they got the vaccine, and so many people are now either got one shot or two, that they don't feel like they have to pay attention or you don't get sick," McCoy said. "You do, you do get sick. And this vaccine that you get, whatever it may have been, really just helps you use the arsenal tool to keep you from hopefully going in the hospital hopefully going to stop me from going to ICU and hopefully stop you from passing away. But we've never once sat up here it said one way or different that it was a cure all because there is no cure all.”
McCoy noted that Central New York, the Finger Lakes region and western New York are lagging the Capital Region, though.
“Currently 72.4% of all Albany County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine," McCoy said. "66.5 are fully vaccinated. And the one dose vaccination rate for adults population 18 and above is that at 3.5. Over the last month we had 4,050 more people go and get their first dose. But if you compare that to the first dose of last month, prior to that, there were 7,700 additional people who got the first dose, you can see how we're dropping down."
McCoy says that as daily vaccinations slow, daily infections, hospitalizations, and deaths go up, with 54 new COVID infections identified since Sunday's update was issued. He added that from October 7 through October 14, one new death was reported every day for eight straight days, the longest streak of new COVID deaths since the beginning of February. The death toll for Albany County stands at 421 since the outbreak began. McCoy says countywide, the unvaccinated make up 72% of recent coronavirus deaths. He hasn't ruled out another round of COVID restrictions.
"I'm trying not to go there. But I will. When I look at the data, and we're five times higher, this last month than we were this time last year, it's alarming going into the winter season. You know, and again, like you know, we want people to get back to life. And it's about mental health. I'm not advocating ever to do a shutdown. We did that once, “ said McCoy.
Across the river, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin watches the numbers too. “This county, like pretty much everywhere around the area is holding its own, doing OK. No real huge outbreaks. You know you get a decent amount of cases every day and a decent amount of releases every day. Overall we’re trending down a little bit right now,” said McLaughlin.
Albany County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen says people should continue wearing masks and practice social distancing. She urges everyone, especially schoolchildren, to get vaccinated.
“We have contracted with 10 out of 12 schools in Albany County to provide screening tests through a PCR test," Whalen said. "And we can also work with them to provide diagnostic testing within the schools. And we have had a couple of schools that are doing that. And I think that that is a great strategy to be able to get kids who are excluded back to school more quickly.”
Whalen and McCoy urge anyone eligible to receive a COVID vaccine booster dose to do so at their earliest convenience.
