County loses another resident to COVID

Thursday, January 28, 2021 - 21:58

ALBANY COUNTY — Another county resident has succumbed to COVID-19, bringing Albany County’s death toll to 303.

The latest victim was a woman in her seventies, according to a release from Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy.

He also reported 216 new cases of COVID-19 since Wednesday.

McCoy noted there have been more COVID-related deaths this month than any since the pandemic came to Albany County in March.

As of Thursday morning, Albany County has had 17,843 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of the new cases, 144 did not have a clear source of infection identified, 41 had close contact with someone infected with the disease, and 31 are health-care workers or residents of congregate settings.

The five-day average for new daily positives has decreased to 180.4 from 187. There are now 1,390 active cases in the county, down from 1,587 yesterday.

The number of Albany County residents under mandatory quarantine decreased to 2,611 from 2,742. So far, 53,044 residents have completed quarantine. Of those, 16,453 had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 403 recoveries since Wednesday.

There were three new hospitalizations overnight, and there are 163 county residents currently hospitalized from the virus, the same as Wednesday. There are 11 patients now in intensive-care units, down from 16 on Wednesday.

Of the state’s 10 regions, the Capital Region continues to have the worst rate of available hospital beds, at 24 percent, tied with the Mohawk Valley, and of ICU beds, at 20 percent.

Currently, 457 Capital Region residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, which is 0.04 percent of the population.

Statewide, 0.04 percent of New Yorkers are hospitalized with the virus, leaving 32 percent of hospital beds available.

The Capital Region has 202 of its 244 ICUbeds filled. Statewide, 26 percent of ICUbeds are available.

The Capital Region’s infection rate, as of Wednesday, as a seven-day average, was 5.97 percent. Statewide, the positivity rate is 5.52 percent.

Albany County, as of Wednesday, as a seven-day rolling average, has an infection rate of 6.9 percent, according to the state’s dashboard.

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