“It’s not going to get better in any likelihood between now and Christmas,” said Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen of surging COVID cases. “It’s likely that we will continue to see cases increase and that they will result in increased hospitalizations and unfortunately increased deaths in the county. The only way we can prevent this from happening is from individual behavior.”

GUILDERLAND — On Thursday evening, another COVID-19 case was announced by the superintendent of Guilderland schools, Marie Wiles, in an email to district families.

GUILDERLAND — All but one of Guilderland’s seven schools has now had a case of COVID-19 this school year as 12 new cases were announced this week — seven of them were announced Wednesday evening. Only Pine Bush Elementary School as yet remains untouched.

The county’s 38th week of dealing with COVID-19 was a week of broken records — for daily new cases of the virus, for hospitalizations, and for deaths.

ALBANY COUNTY — On Tuesday, Albany County announced a record number of new infections — 159 — and also a record number of hospitalizations — 76 — as well as two more deaths from COVID-19.

After consulting with global experts and local governments, the state’s COVID Task Force developed five strategies to combat COVID-19 this winter as cases across the nation increase due to holiday travel, shopping, and gathering as well as cold weather, keeping people indoors.

“We’re probably going to pass yellow, people, and go right to orange at the rate we’re headed,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy on Monday.

A fourth and fifth case of COVID-19 within a week were announced on Monday by the Guilderland Central School District. This makes 20 cases for the district so far this school year.
 

Areas are designated as yellow zones if, for 10  consecutive days, they have an infection rate, calculated as a seven-day rolling average, of 3-percent or greater. The state’s dashboard says that on Nov. 20, 21, and 22, Albany County had a seven-day rolling average of 3.1 percent followed by an average of 3.0 percent on Nov. 23, 24, and 25. Further, the state reports a seven-day rolling average of 3.6 percent on Nov. 26, of 3.5 percent on Nov. 27, and of 3.8 percent on Nov. 28. 

GUILDERLAND — Guilderland schools have two more cases of COVID-19, according to an email Superintendent Marie Wiles sent Saturday evening to families in the district.