Saturday, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy announced 268 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths from the disease, bringing the county’s toll to 249.

“On Monday, they will begin accepting reservations for vaccinations,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo. New Yorkers who are health-care workers, essential workers, or who are 75 or older will be eligible to sign up. “The new providers must prioritize their health care staff,” said Cuomo.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said he had spoken with local government leaders who are worried about the highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 from the United Kingdom. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 52 cases of the variant, known as B.1.1.7, in the United States with 26 cases in California, 22 in Florida, two in Colorado, and one case each in Georgia and New York.

ALBANY COUNTY — Construction is complete on a new shared-use path for walkers and cyclists connecting the village of Menands to the Mohawk-Hudson Hike-Bike Trail along the Hudson River, which is also part of the newly completed Empire State Trail.

A series of free programs on brain health will be available to the public this month.

 ALBANY COUNTY — Ann Lee Pond in Colonie, and Thompson’s Lake in the Helderbergs are both popular for ice fishing and have public access to fishing. 

ALBANY COUNTY — Getting the COVID-19 vaccine into residents’ arms — as the county’s infection rate continues to top 10 percent and records for hospitalization were broken three times — was the focus of Albany County’s 43rd week of coping with the pandemic.

Ward Stone, Troy

ALBANY COUNTY — Local leaders — all of them Democrats — were quick to condemn the violent breach of the United States Capitol on Wednesday, which disrupted the Congressional count of electoral votes.