These local students have recently distinguished themselves:

— Luke Durivage of  Voorheesville, was named to the fall 2019 dean's award for academic excellence at Colgate University, with a  grade-point average of 3.3 or higher;

A COVID-19 maternity task force has been created to examine the best approach to authorizing and certifying additional dedicated birthing centers in an effort to provide mothers a safe alternative to already stressed hospitals amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

ALBANY COUNTY — Elizabeth Whalen, Albany County’s health commissioner, said at Tuesday’s press briefing that her department has heard from area hospitals that the number of visits they are receiving for heart attacks, strokes, and other emergencies are “not what they normally are.”

“The more testing availability we have, the more valid the data is,” Elizabeth Whalen, Albany County’s health commissioner. As she launched the Data Dashboard about the coronavirus, posted to the county’s website. She also said that data becomes more meaningful over time.

The state’s labor department has launched a new application for New Yorkers to apply for traditional Unemployment Insurance or the new COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

This one-stop-shop for unemployment benefits will not require New Yorkers to call the labor department.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, as well as the state economy, and it will be a long road to recovery,” said Thomas Dinapoli in an announcement.

Rite-Aid pharmacists will conduct the COVID-19 tests at the new site in Colonie, handing people who drive through a swab they will use for a nasal test; results will be reported through email or by phone. The site is expected to perform about 200 tests per day.

ALBANY COUNTY — Congressman Paul Tonko does not think that local and state governments will receive federal aid as part of the “interim model” currently being hashed out in Congress, but he is hopeful the fourth round of coronavirus aid will include those funds.

In announcing confirmed cases at daily briefings, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy gives just the number of cases not the location of the residents who were infected. “We wanted people to know it was all around us,” he said. McCoy also said the county hopes to post data on its website this week.