ALBANY COUNTY — Responding to President Joe Biden’s Thursday night directive that states need to make all Americans eligible for COVID-19 vaccination by May 1, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Friday afternoon in a phone call with reporters, “We have to dramatically increase our capacity.”

On Friday morning, Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen hailed Biden’s announcement as “wonderful news” that enough doses are expected by May 1.

“As it comes into the region, we will get it out,” she said, noting her goal has always been to keep up with the once-limited supply.

She noted that the county is lucky to have two large-scale vaccination sites — one run by the federal and state governments together at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany, and the other run by the state at the uptown University at Albany campus.

While the county’s health department with its many medical corps volunteers will continue to run its large point of dispensing, or POD, at the Times Union Center in Albany, Whalen said, she looks forward to re-allocating some of the county’s supply to “small break-out clinics.”

“COVID has highlighted health-care disparities …,” she said. “We know that our Black and brown communities have disproportionate rates of illness and death from COVID.”

Whalen said her department will continue to focus on disparities, stating, “A lot of work needs to be done.”

Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said that, as of Thursday, 26 percent of county residents had received a first shot of vaccine, second only to Warren County, at 28.5 percent, in the Capital Region. Albany County has about 320,000 residents while Warren County has about 64,000.

Whalen reported that, of Albany County residents aged 65 and older, 51.53 percent have received a first dose. New Yorkers age 60 and older are now eligible for the shots.

Statewide, 21 percent of New Yorkers have had at least one vaccine dose while 10.7 percent have completed their vaccine series, according to a Friday release from the governor’s office.

Cuomo carries on

Coumo told reporters on his Friday call that he has no intention of resigning in the midst allegations from six women of sexual harassment.

“Women have a right to come forward and be heard ….,” Cuomo said. “There is still a question of the truth. I did not do what has been alleged. Period.”

He said of an investigation overseen by Attorney General Letitia James and a separate investigation being conducted by a committee in the State Assembly that is considering impeachment, “No one wants them to happen more quickly and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it.”

On Friday, Congressman Paul Tonko, a Democrat representing the Capital Region, who had earlier called for an investigation, joined the chorus of lawmakers calling for Cuomo to resign.  “It has become clear the governor has lost the public trust needed to effectively lead this state,” Tonko said in a statement.

“Serious allegations should be weighed seriously …. There are facts and then there are opinions …,” Cuomo told reporters. “Politicians who don’t know a single fact yet form a conclusion and an opinion are in my opinion reckless and dangerous.”

Cuomo said he was proud of not being part of “the political club” and also said, “People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture — and the truth.”

With the need to rebuild the state from the bottom up and the need to be ready to vaccinate 15 million New Yorkers by May 1, Cuomo said that this is probably the most critical time in the state’s history.

“That is my job. That’s why I was elected,” he said.

Cuomo also said he had been under public scrutiny since he was 23 and the people of the state had known him for over 40 years.

Answering reporters’ questions, he said, “A lot of people allege a lot of things for a lot of reasons …. I never harassed anyone. I never abused anyone. I never assaulted anyone.” He reiterated, “What is being alleged simply did not happen.”

Asked how he could effectively lead, Cuomo responded, “It’s not the first time we had to walk and chew gum,” stating he’d dealt with federal investigations for years.

He said that, in the midst of a polarized political climate, he would focus on his job.

Cuomo concluded of the sixth woman — unnamed by the Times Union which reported on the allegations from an unnamed source of a groping incident at the Governor’s Mansion — “the last allegation is not true. I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate. Period.”

Retrospective

At Friday’s press briefing, exactly a year since McCoy announced Albany County’s first two cases of COVID-19 on March 12, 2020, he highlighted news from his over 200 briefings.

“It’s been a rough year for everyone …. We’re almost through it,” said McCoy.

He thanked the county workers who learned to pivot and then re-pivot and he reiterated the stance he has taken since the start: “I decided … not to point fingers, not to complain.”

McCoy recalled declaring a state of emergency on March 14 and how schools closed on March 16 with his own daughter not attending in-person classes since.

“We had to reimagine everything,” he said.

McCoy went through the dates of the various restrictions and closings and then of the gradual phased reopening. He praised the walk-up COVID-19 testing the county offered in underserved communities.

“Working together gets things done better than finger-pointing and grandstanding,” he said.

McCoy touched on the May 25 death of George Floyd and the protests that followed.

“The message was heard and we need to change,” he said.

McCoy said that, although the county lost over $19 million in taxes, no workers were laid off and no services were cut.

“We followed the science,” he said of the approach he and Whalen used as they put out ever-evolving information.

“To me, it’s about the safety and health of the residents ,” McCoy said.

January, following the post-holiday surge, was the month with the most deaths in Albany County — 89 — and the highest infection rate: 10.5 percent on Jan. 2.

January also saw the completion of the county’s nursing home, Shaker Place, which McCoy likened to a resort hotel.

Jan. 7 was the date of the county’s first vaccine clinic with many more to follow.

“I can cautiously say we are starting to turn a corner,” Whalen said as infection rates decrease in the community.

However, she described her view as “cautious optimism” because of the “highly communicable strains out there.”

She concluded with the reminder to wear masks, wash hands, and stay socially distant.

Newest numbers

As of Friday morning, Albany County has had 21,194 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 49 new cases.

Of the new cases, 28 did not have clear sources of infection identified, 18 had close contact with someone infected with the disease, two were health-care workers or residents of congregate settings, and one reported traveling out of state.

The five-day average for new daily positives has decreased to 56.6 from 59.4. There are now 523 active cases in the county, down from 534 on Thursday.

The number of Albany County residents under quarantine increased slightly to 1,349 from 1,344. So far, 66,773 residents have completed quarantine. Of those, 20,671 had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 58 recoveries since Thursday.

There were four new hospitalizations overnight, and there are now 27 county residents hospitalized from the virus – a net increase of three. There are currently five patients in intensive-care, unchanged from Thursday.

Albany County’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 362.

Albany County’s infection rate, as of Thursday, as a seven-day rolling average, was 2.0 percent, according to the state’s dashboard.

Statewide, the infection rate was 3.1 percent.