ALBANY COUNTY— The COVID-19 death toll for Albany County climbed to six as two more patients died Friday night — a man in his 70s and a woman in her 90s.

Like the other four patients who had died, all over the age of 60, each had “underlying health conditions,” announced Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy at his Saturday morning press briefing.

“We’re going to lose more and more of our vulnerable seniors and people in our community,” said McCoy, urging residents, “Stay home … Use common sense.”

The hardest thing, McCoy said, is that COVID-19 patients who die in the hospital “can’t say goodbye.” Visitors aren’t allowed.

“Think of that, being all alone in the hospital … Even after that,” McCoy said of death, “you can’t see the person.”

McCoy also announced that Albany County now has 278 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 464 people under mandatory quarantine and 82 under precautionary quarantine. Also on Saturday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State now has 113,704 confirmed cases with the apex downstate, the epicenter of the outbreak, still ahead.

Thirty-four people are now hospitalized in Albany County with the hospitalization rate for the county at just over 12 percent. Twelve of the hospitalized patients are in intensive-care units.

“The next two, two-and-a-half weeks will be tough for all of us,” predicted McCoy.

McCoy noted that, since community testing stopped two weeks ago, the number of Albany County cases is actually much higher — he estimated as high as 500. Currently only hospitalized patients and exposed health-care workers are being tested.

But on Monday, community testing will start again at a drive-through site at the University at Albany, staffed by Albany Medical Center and St. Peter’s Health Partners. McCoy stressed that the testing is for people with symptoms; the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 include fever and a cough.

People wanting a test must call 1-888-346-3065 to get an appointment. No walk-ins will be accepted. Everyone will be tested from their vehicle.8

“By the end of the week, our numbers will probably double,” said McCoy.

McCoy also noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had now changed its directives on wearing masks. Originally, masks were to be reserved for health-care workers.

Now the general public is encouraged to wear them. McCoy said that is because 25 percent of the people who have the disease don’t have symptoms and don’t know they have it and so unwittingly spread the virus.

He also noted that first responders and nursing-home staff need the masks as well as hospital workers.

“Please keep that in mind … I encourage people to make your own masks,” said McCoy.

Finally, McCoy noted that the National Guard has distributed food to 150 households a day, and he thanked Albany Distilling Company for donating hand sanitizer it made to the Albany County Department of Health to be distributed to local health-care workers and first responders.