On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said that Wadsworth Laboratory in Albany is doing research to see if a new, highly-contagious strain of COVID-19, recently discovered in the United Kingdom, has already found its way here.

As COVID-19 cases surge, regional hospitals, which are in daily contact, agreed on Monday to reduce non-urgent surgeries that require a hospital stay.

When state funds are lacking, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said at his Monday morning press briefing, “They have a habit of pushing that down to us on the county level. We have to be wary of that. It’s going to affect our programs.”

“Our numbers are going through the roof …,” Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said on Monday. “January’s going to be rough … It’s scary.”

Of the county nursing home’s 170 residents, 150 so far have agreed to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Only half of the home’s 200 workers have agreed.

“Right now, this variant in the UK is getting on a plane and flying to JFK …. How many times in life do you have to make the same mistake before you learn?” asked Governor AndrewCuomo.

Melissa Fleischut posited that, since the governor had announced that 74 percent of COVID-19 cases were contracted through “living-room spread,” that is, people having small gatherings in their homes, restaurants would be safer places for gatherings.

On Saturday, governor Andrew Cuomo sent a letter to President Donald Trump, calling on him to use his influence and force Congress to ensure the next COVID-19 stimulus package includes financial relief for American families, states and localities. He also asked Trump to forge a compromise on corporate liability limitations.

“Our clinical advisory task force approved Moderna this morning,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo at Friday’s press conference. New York expects to receive about 346,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week, pending final FDA authorization, Cuomo said. This is in addition to the 170,000 from Pfizer, which can now be stretched further.