A year ago, the CDC updated its guidelines — the first revision in COVID-19 guidelines since 2021 — to target respiratory viruses more broadly and be easier for the public to follow. The “core strategy” outlined by the CDC is to “stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren’t better explained by another cause.”

“The current restrictions undermine the civil rights of wheelchair users,” said Erica Molina, noting low-income and rural residents are disproportionately affected. She said just two vendors are approved under Medicaid statewide, calling it a “vendor monopoly.” She said, “Vendors profit at the expense of our clients’ health and safety.”

Of local note was McCoy’s announcement that Albany County was in “the final stages of acquiring Switzkill Farm in Berne .…”

The grant is part of the FAST NY program, which intends to make the state more attractive to manufacturers and other large employers, in this case by helping to bring critical infrastructure to the Port of Albany.

ALBANY COUNTY — Most of New York state will be getting more snow this weekend.

Precipitation in Albany County will begin as all snow by midday Saturday and continue into late Saturday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

While the century-old College of Saint Rose, facing financial hardship, closed last summer, its graduates will still be able access their student records.

The University at Albany announced on Feb. 12 that it has received the records and will hold them in perpetuity.

The New York State Office of Mental Health is looking for a service provider who can support the mental health of agricultural workers who often face significant struggles that are not adequately addressed by existing resources. 

Governor Kathy Hochul announced this week the temporary closure of all live bird markets in several downstate counties after seven different markets found positive cases of bird flu, which has been evolving in ways that are worrying to human and animal health experts alike. 

ALBANY COUNTY — The eastern part of Albany County is under a winter storm watch from Saturday evening, Feb. 8, through Sunday morning, Feb.

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul made an announcement at the campus to an appreciative audience, proposing that up to $40 million in state funds be spent to set up workforce training centers in three regions in New York: the Capital Region, the Finger Lakes, and the Mohawk Valley.