So far this school year, the Guilderland school district has had 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The district enrolls close to 5,000 students.

“It’s true that New York’s pandemic benchmarks are currently low compared to the rest of the country. At the current rate of increase, however, the state is on track to catch up,” wrote Bill Hammond in an Empire Center report.

Vaccination is the only acceptable form of herd immunity, according to the head of the World Health Organization.

Although Albany County has come close to being named a yellow zone, it has so far avoided that designation — and the restrictions that would come with it.

The fifth case, at Guilderland High School, was announced Wednesday in an email from Superintendent Marie Wiles. That last case forced the high school to all-remote learning, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 19, and lasting until Thanksgiving break, which starts on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

ALBANY COUNTY — As the state continues its strategy of tamping down micro-clusters of COVID-19, Albany County, while experiencing a surge, has remained under the threshold that would bring new restrictions.

During the pandemic, many Lynnwood Elementary students had been through “levels of trauma,” said their art teacher, Krista Gillis. She came up with a project that would show them, on their return to school, “They belong here and we love them.”

Despite mandatory delays due to the COVID-19 outbreak, tenants have moved into the first of 11 apartment buildings at the Preserve of West Creek.

The Albany County website now has a map showing COVID-19 testing sites. The map lets users get directions to different locations, tells them wait times for results, and whether walk-ins are accepted.

School nurses can set up appointments for students with COVID-19 symptoms so they can get tested for the disease.