ALBANY COUNTY — The county’s health commissioner, Elizabeth Whalen, said on Thursday that her department, with exhausted staff, might not be able to keep up with investigating every new COVID-19 case, which has been the cornerstone of the county’s response.

ALBANY COUNTY — As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Albany County, the county executive on Thursday stressed enforcement as opposed to his usual conciliatory approach.

“If you want to stop the spread and you don’t want to shut businesses down again and you want to get back to somewhat of a new normal … we need your help,” said Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy.

As Albany County nears the apex of COVID-19 cases it had this spring, the county’s executive, Daniel McCoy, worries about another shutdown — which he says many small businesses wouldn’t survive. The state is now using a targeted approach, with restrictions tailored to areas with micro-clusters of the virus.

Stephen Thomas, SUNY Upstate Medical’s chief of Infectious Disease, has been appointed the lead principal investigator for the world-wide Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine trial. The SUNY medical school serves as one of the global third-phase vaccine trial locations.

So far this school year, Guilderland has had four cases of COVID-19 before the current case — two at Altamont Elementary and two at Guilderland High School.

New York’s micro-clusters, until now, had been in Brooklyn and Queens in New York City; in Orange and Rockland counties in the Mid-Hudson region; and in Broome, Steuben, and Chemung counties near the Pennsylvania border.

“It’s time to start doubling down on the preventative measures instead of loosening restrictions,” said Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen.

Despite political barbs from both sides, Andrew Cuomo, New York’s Democratic governor who chairs the National Governors Association, has raised largely unanswered concerns about the Republican Trump administration’s distribution plan for COVID-19 vaccines.

Albany County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen noted this week that there are currently “increased rates in the community and increased severity.” She urged residents not to leave their homes for parties or other social gatherings. She also urged residents not to vilify people who have contracted COVID-19.