ALBANY COUNTY — The push is on to vaccinate the hesitant and skeptical against COVID-19.

On Thursday, at both the county and state levels, announcements were made about new pop-up sites.

Also on Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking from Buffalo’s airport, announced a “Scratch & Vax” lottery with a prize of $5 million. The $20 lottery tickets are given to New Yorkers who get vaccinated at certain state sites.

Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said on Thursday that points of dispensing, or PODs, will be set up in Albany on Saturday and in Ravena on Wednesday.

“We know bringing small PODs directly to residents in their own neighborhoods is the best way to ensure trust and get to herd immunity, and we’re moving in the right direction,” McCoy said in a release, making the announcement.

The county’s pop-up PODs are at:

— Innovation Blocks Party on Clinton Street, between Third and Fourth avenues, on May 22 between noon and 3 p.m., administering both Pfizer, for residents 12 and older, and Johnson & Johnson, for residents 18 and older; and

— The Church of Saint Patrick at 21 Main Street in Ravena from 4 to 7p.m., administering Pfizer for residents 12 and older.

A second shot will be scheduled for Pfizer recipients; Johnson & Johnson requires just one shot.

At the same time, Cuomo announced seven new pop-up vaccination sites at airports across the state, including Albany County’s airport. The sites will be open from Monday, May 24, to Friday, May 28, each day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Cuomo also announced free state lottery scratch-off tickets will be given to people over 18 who get vaccinated at sites in the New York City, Long Island, Mid-Hudson, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, and Western New York regions. The sites are open to both walk-ins and by appointment.

The program will not impact education funding, according to a release from the governor’s office.

While the top prize is $5 million, a series of 13 prize levels are offered, with the lowest being $20.

“People say, ‘Well, COVID is over. I didn’t get the vaccine. Now I don’t need to.’ That's not true,” Cuomo said at the Buffalo event on Thursday. “The regulations are relaxed for people who got vaccinated, not for people who didn't get vaccinated. So we still have to get people vaccinated ….”

Cuomo said the Vax & Scratch lottery is to provide incentive to vaccinate.

“The chances of winning something in this program are one in nine that you win something. So, it is a very exciting lottery. The value of the ticket is $20. If you had to buy the ticket, it's $20. So in essence, get a vaccination, and you get a free $20 scratch-off ticket for the multiplier game, 100 percent free.”

The lottery program begins on Monday, May 24, and runs through Friday, May 28.

Jobs increase

According to preliminary figures released Thursday by the state’s Department of Labor, the number of private-sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by 28,100, or 0.4 percent, to 7,445,200 in April 2021.

By comparison, the number of private-sector jobs in the United States increased by 0.2 percent in April 2021.

New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 8.4 percent to 8.2 percent in April 2021.

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy area had a net increase of 45,600 private-sector jobs, a 15.2-percent increase.

Statewide, between April 2020 and April 2021, the department reports, the sector with the biggest increase in jobs was leisure and hospitality at 285,500 followed by trade, transportation, and utilities at 232,500 jobs.

Third was educational and health services at 155,200 jobs followed by construction at 116,800 jobs. Professional and business services were up by 97,400 jobs and manufacturing was up by 55,800 jobs.

The only two sectors that saw a decrease in the last year were government, down 2,400 jobs, and financial activities, down 200 jobs.

Newest numbers

McCoy announced, in a press release Thursday morning, 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the county’s tally to 24,198.

Of the new cases, 12 did not have clear sources of infection identified and two had close contact with someone infected with the disease.

The five-day average for new daily positives decreased from 15.6 to 14. There are now 97 active cases in the county, down slightly from 99 on Wednesday.

The number of Albany County residents under quarantine increased to 297 from 281. So far, 78,947 residents have completed quarantine. Of those, 24,101 had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 16 recoveries since Wednesday.

There were two new hospitalizations overnight, and there still remain 15 county residents hospitalized from the virus. There are currently seven patients in intensive-care units, unchanged from Wednesday.

Albany County’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 378.

Albany County’s infection rate, as of Wednesday, as a seven-day rolling average, is 0.9 percent, according to the state’s dashboard.

Statewide, the infection rate, also as of Wednesday, as a seven-day rolling average, is 1.0 percent.

According to the state’s vaccine tracker, 59.8 percent of Albany County’s 307,117 residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and 70.8 percent of residents 18 or older have had one dose.

Statewide, 51 percent of New Yorkers have received at least one shot while 62.7 percent of New Yorkers 18or older have had at least one dose; 42.9 percent have completed a vaccine series.