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“We have 6,500 residents over the age of 65 in Albany County,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy. “We need to identify these places …. so we’re there to protect everyone going forward.”

“We have paid out more than $59 billion in benefits to over 3.9 million unemployed New Yorkers during this crisis — nearly 28 typical years’ worth of benefits paid in 10 months — and we will continue to move heaven and earth to serve our neighbors,” said Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. 

Debbie Scott, who resigned this month as director of the Westerlo Public Library, had held the post for nearly a year-and-a-half. 

Under the state’s original micro-cluster system, which designated the most severe red zones followed by orange and yellow zones, Albany County would have been named a red zone, the county executive said. Now, the state’s focus is on hospital capacity, where the Capital Region is also struggling.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said the questions the state is trying to answer are: “Can you do it? Can you use testing to reopen a business safely? And can you do it on a large scale, which would be the Bills?”

Based on Sunday’s test results, the Capital Region’s infection rate is 8.48 percent. Of the state’s 10 regions, only two areas are higher.

The school district continues to plan for the eventuality that the area will be declared a micro-cluster zone, which requires random COVID-19 testing of students and staff for the schools to remain open. So far, about 75 percent of Guilderland respondents have agreed to be tested.