ALBANY COUNTY — On the same day that Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy was thanking the federal government for a COVID-19 testing device to use at the county’s nursing home, Governor Andrew Cuomo was blasting the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for reversing its position on testing.

Also on Wednesday, leaders at the University at Albany held a press conference to outline their “robust” testing regimen and explain the massive testing they plan to do going forward. Classes started on Monday and the first student tested positive for the illness on Tuesday.

On Monday, the CDC changed its guidelines to exclude testing people who do not show COVID-19 symptoms even if they have been exposed to the virus. In Albany County, and across New York State, the focus for months has been on increasing diagnostic testing, especially to identify the disease in people who may be spreading the disease before they show symptoms or who never show symptoms.

In Albany County, people in the 20-to-29 age group have had more cases of COVID-19 than people in any other decade of age, and the county’s health commissioner has frequently warned that, without testing, they could be unwittingly spread the disease to people for whom it could be serious or even deadly.

“They reversed their own guidance: If you are in close contact with a person, you don’t need to get a test,” said Cuomo of the CDC in a conference call with the press on Wednesday.

“I’ve spoken to health experts from around the globe,” Cuomo went on. “None of them will say that this makes any sense from a health point of view. The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking tests because, as the president has said, if we don’t take tests, you won’t know that people are COVID-positive and the number of COVID-positive people will come down. Yes, that is true.

“That is his policy of ‘deny the problem.’ If you don’t take your temperature, you won’t know that you have a fever. Yes, that is true. But it totally violates public-health standards and rationale, and just fosters his failed policy of denial.”

Cuomo called this CDC reversal Donald Trump’s “re-election strategy” and said, “Shame on the people in the CDC.”

Howard Zucker, the state’s health commissioner, echoed Cumo’s thoughts. “Regarding the CDC situation,” he said, “this is indefensible from a public-health point of view and I have to say it makes absolutely no sense, and I’ve spoken to the scientists at the CDC and they say it’s political, so I concur with all you’re saying that this is just indefensible.”

Meanwhile, at his Wednesday morning press briefing, McCoy stressed that testing is critical to protect nursing-home residents and thanked the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration for providing Albany Cunty’s nursing home, Shaker Place, with a point-of-care COVID-19 testing device that will allow nursing home staff and residents to learn test results in 15 to 30 minutes, McCoy said.

After nursing homes across the state suffered many deaths of residents, Cuomo required nursing-home workers to be tested twice weekly for COVID-19. The majority of COVID-19 deaths in Albany County have been of nursing-home residents.

A July 6 report issued by the state’s Department of Health concluded that the primary cause of the spike of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes was due to workers being infected. The report says that one in four nursing-home workers were infected and also that visitors to the nursing homes, before a March 13 executive order forbade visitors, could also have unwittingly spread the disease.

Critics of the report have maintained the cause of many deaths was Cuomo’s initial policy that nursing homes accept COVID-19 patients, an order he later reversed.

Nursing-home workers in New York State are now tested weekly for the virus. McCoy said on Wednesday that the federal government would be following New York’s lead and antigen tests will be required for nursing-home staff nationwide in order to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding.

McCoy also said it cost the county over $16,000 a week to do the required testing. With the testing device at Shaker Place now, it will save about $10,000 weekly, he said.

Also, test results used to take six to 10 days to come back, meaning infection could spread before results were in. McCoy said he is glad Albany County is among the first to receive a machine. “It’s going to make a difference in the life of our workers,” he said. “It will give us accurate snapshots right away.”

School concerns

“We all knew it was not a matter of ‘if.’ It was a matter of ‘when,’” said Havidán Rodríguez, president of the University of Albany, at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, announcing the first case of COVID-19 since classes started on Monday.

On March 12, a UAlbany students had one of the first two cases announced by Albany County. On March 13, “we went remote,” said Rodríguez. This semester, he said, 58 percent of students are learning online, 36 percent attend in-person classes, and the remaining courses are a hybrid of the two approaches.

Half of the staff is working on campus, and the other half is working remotely from their homes, he said; 37 percent of the residence halls are occupied.

“Our plan worked,” said Rodríguez, explaining that the ill student was identified, isolated, and tested as the university worked, as planned, in conjunction with the county’s health department.

Rodríguez noted that the state has a free testing site on campus, used by residents throughout the region, and described “a very robust testing system” at the university.

Soon, he said, UAlbany will launch surveillance pool testing, using saliva of students, faculty, and staff, and plans to test over 5,000 individuals per week.

Jim Malatras, the chancellor-elect for the state university system, said the goal is to “make sure our students have a robust educational opportunity in a safe way.”

Over the summer, a party attended by about 200 young people, many of them UAlbany students, on Hudson Avenue in Albany, resulted in close to 50 cases of COVID-19.

Party-goers did not wear masks or stay six feet from one another, McCoy has said.

Rodríguez stressed at Wednesday’s press conference that the university is emphasizing mask-wearing, distancing, and no large gatherings.

Meanwhile, throughout the week, Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said she has had video-conference meetings both with school nurses and with school superintendents.

“A lot of them are a little concerned about the timeline,” said Whalen on Wednesday. Although school leaders have been working diligently on safe reopening plans, Whalen said, hearing from the state’s health department on Aug. 26  that there may be additional guidance could be unsettling.

The county’s health department, Whalen said, has created straightforward algorithms that can be used in kindergarten through 12th grade so that schools “know exactly what will happen in conjunction with the local health department when they get a symptomatic person, whether it’s a staff member or student.”

She concluded, “We will be there every step of the way.”

McCoy said he was meeting with teachers’ unions. “I think they’re scared,” he said, noting teachers, unlike doctors or nurses, haven’t been used to working with masks on since, after schools were shut down in March, most taught remotely from their homes.

“We’re trying to do this safely, slowly, and make sure the teachers are protected,” said McCoy.

Voting reforms

Spurred by worries about the pandemic, Cuomo on Thursday signed into law voting-reform measures to make it easier to vote by mail. The legislative package comes in three parts:

— S.8015-D/A.10833 authorizes voters to request an absentee ballot due to risk of illness, including COVID-19;

— S.8783A/A.10807 allows absentee ballot applications to be submitted to the board of elections immediately; and

— S.8799A/A.10808 ensures all absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day or received by the board of elections without a postmark on the day after the election will be counted.

Ballots with a postmark showing that they were mailed on or before Election Day, Nov. 3, will be counted if received by Nov. 10.

“The federal administration has ordered an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Postal Service and with COVID-19, threatening our ability to have safe, in-person voting, these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election at one of the most important moments in our nation’s history,” Cuomo said in a statement. “These actions will further break down barriers to democracy and will make it easier for all New Yorkers to exercise their right to vote this November.”

On Monday, Cuomo issued an executive order, requiring county boards of elections to take concrete steps to inform voters of upcoming deadlines, be prepared for upcoming elections, and help ensure absentee ballots can be used in all elections.

“This election is going to be one of the most critical in modern history. It will be controversial. You already hear the statements questioning the vote, and the accuracy of the vote, and mail-in ballots. We want to make sure that every vote is counted; every voice is heard and that it’s fair and right and accurate,” Cuomo said in a statement announcing his executive order. 

“I’m issuing today’s executive order because we want boards of elections to count votes efficiently and we want them to get it right, but we want it done in a timely manner,” Cuomo went on. “We don’t want to hear after-the-fact excuses.”

The executive order requires county boards of elections to:

— Mail a notice outlining all deadlines for voters by Tuesday, Sept. 8;

— Send staffing plans and needs to the New York State Board of Elections by Sept. 20 so the state board can assist in ensuring adequate coverage;

— Adopt a uniform clarified envelope for absentee ballots and require counties to use it;

— Count votes faster: require all objections to be made by the county board in real time, make sure that boards are ready to count votes and reconcile affidavit and absentee ballots by 48 hours after elections; and

— Provide an option for New Yorkers to vote absentee in village, town, and special district elections.

Vaccines encouraged

Also on Monday, the state’s Office for the Aging encouraged older New Yorkers, of which there are 4.3 million, to get current with all recommended immunizations, including those that provide protection against respiratory illnesses such as influenza and pneumococcal disease.

The concern is that elderly New Yorkers are staying away from doctors’ offices and regular visits for fear of contracting COVID-19.

“Staying healthy during this pandemic is critical, particularly for older adults, who are at greater risk for COVID-19,” said Greg Olsen, the office’s acting director, in a release. “Our immune systems are more easily compromised as we age, and older adults, especially those with chronic health conditions, have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill.”

Flu season in the United States can begin as early as October and last as late as May. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone six months of age and older, particularly those at greater risk, get their annual flu vaccine by the end of October. High-dose flu shots are available for adults age 65 and older.

People 65 years and older should also be up to date with the pneumococcal vaccination to protect against pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. 

While these vaccines do not specifically protect against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, they are highly recommended to maintain overall health and protect against other respiratory illnesses.

State tax receipts down 10 percent

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a report that showed state tax receipts through the first four months of the fiscal year — $26.4 billion — were $3 billion less or 10.2-percent below the same period last year.

“The shift of the tax filing deadline from April to July this year added to the revenue uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic,” DiNapoli said in a statement, releasing the report. “July numbers show more clearly the extent of the revenue damage from the pandemic, which is driving both unanticipated spending and declining tax receipts.”

He went on, “Washington’s continued delay on further federal response leaves the state, local governments, nonprofits and others with increasingly difficult questions on how to maintain the services New Yorkers need during this national emergency.”

The report shows that personal income tax collections totaled $18.9 billion through July, which is $1.4 billion, or 6.8 percent, lower than a year ago. Receipts from personal income tax withholding were 1 percent, or $133.1 million, below the previous year, while estimated payments were 14.4 percent, or more than $1.3 billion, lower.

Sales tax receipts of $4 billion for the first four months were down $1.2 billion from a year earlier, a drop of 23.1 percent. The year-over-year decline in July, 8.6 percent, was the lowest since March.

All funds spending through July totaled $53 billion, down $2.3 billion, or 4.2 percent, from the previous year, including a $1.8 billion decline in local assistance grants.

Stopping the spread

 On Wednesday, Cuomo announced that New York State’s rate of positive COVID-19 tests has been below 1 percent for 19 straight days. To keep the infection rate low, Cuomo this week continued to update the travel-advisory list and continued to push enforcement of Coronavirus-prevention requirements, particularly at bars and restaurants.

“New Yorkers made enormous sacrifices to get our numbers as low as they are today, and we don’t want to give up an inch of that hard-earned progress. That’s why these travel advisory precautions are so important — we don’t want people who travel to states with high community spread to bring the virus back here,” Cuomo said on Tuesday. “While it’s good news that five states have been removed from the travel advisory, the list remains far too long as America continues to struggle with COVID-19. New Yorkers should stay vigilant and be careful — wear a mask, socially distance, and be smart. This pandemic is not over.”

Visitors from these states and territories must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to New York State: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri,Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Virgin Islands, and Wisconsin.

Throughout the week, the governor continued to announce the inspections made by the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force. Most of the violations were at downstate bars and restaurants. Two this week were in the Capital Region: Mark’s Grill in Schenectady and Andy’s Place in Albany.

Newest numbers

Albany County currently has 2,474 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 16 new cases since Tuesday. Mccoy likened it to a roller coaster, since there had been no new cases reported on Tuesday.

Seven of the new cases had close contact with people infected with COVID-19, two were healthcare workers or residents of private congregate settings, one had traveled out of state, and six had no clear source of infection determined at this time.

As of Wednesday morning, 499 county residents were under quarantine, down from 523. The five-day average for new daily positives has increased to 4.8 from 3.2 on Tuesday. Albany County now has 31 active cases, up from 22 a day ago.

So far, 9,263 Albany County residents have completed quarantine. Of those who completed quarantine, 2,443 of them had tested positive and recovered, an increase of seven.

Nine county residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, with one in an intensive-care unit. The hospitalization rate from 0.32 percent to 0.36 percent.

Albany County’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 131.

As always, McCoy on Wednesday urged county residents to get tested for COVID-19. “Please, you don’t need signs or symptoms,” he said.