ALBANY COUNTY — High-risk sports are back — for now.

Albany County, along with other neighboring counties, had set a 4-percent infection rate from COVID-19 as the threshold at which sports like basketball could be played.

At Monday morning’s press conference, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said that the county’s infection rate for Feb. 6 was 3.5 percent and the seven-day average is now below 3.75 percent, “which is awesome news.”

On Friday, Jan. 22, Governor Andrew Cuomo had said that county health departments would determine if high-risk sports would be allowed for schools and recreational leagues after Feb. 1.

Examples of high-risk sports listed in the state’s guidance include: football, wrestling, ice hockey, rugby, basketball, contact lacrosse, volleyball, martial arts, competitive cheer, and group dance.

Some students and coaches protested Albany County’s decision on Saturday, Jan. 30. Training, following guidelines, was allowed.

Speaking of the county’s health commissioner, Elizabeth Whalen, McCoy said at his Monday press conference, “I stand by Doctor Whalen’s decision.” He said of the decision to play sports, “It’s not based on votes; it’s based on science.”

McCoy went on, “As of today, following the science, scrimmages and games can start if the school has submitted everything they need to submit.”

By Monday night, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board had approved basketball, according to a tweet from the boys’ varsity coach, Andy Wright.

“With the BKW board of education approving our plan for basketball this evening, this 2021 edition of #BulldogNation starts it's 5 week quest of excellence,” Wright tweeted.

The local guidance, posted to the county’s website, states, “While the Governor’s announcement created a road for higher-risk sports to occur, this unified approach installs the guardrails, off-ramps and stop signs that are needed for safety on all roads. Districts/schools must choose to put different vehicles on the road (by approving specific higher-risk sports) and parents/guardians must choose whether to get in the vehicle (by allowing their child to participate).”

The plan delineates metrics on hospital capacity and admissions as well as infection rates.

McCoy reported on Monday morning that 97 county residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, the first time the county has dipped below 100 hospitalizations since Dec. 16.

He also reported 75 new cases of COVID-19, the lowest since Nov. 29

The guidance posted on the county’s website outlines many requirements — including masking, social distancing, screening, and testing — for school plans that must be approved by the boards governing schools.

“We have sent very clear requirements to the schools to create plans to ensure that their athletes are safe,” Whalen said on Monday.

She recommended COVID-19 testing for schools that are able to do so. 

“Plans need to be signed off by school medical directors and by whatever board is over you,” Whalen said.

An attestation will be sent out to all districts on Monday to be sure requirements are met, she said.

“At this point, the rate is below 4 percent but it is really close to 4 percent. So we also have to consider what happens if the rate starts to go up again,” Whalen said.

She also noted she had heard from parents who do not think it is safe for their children to play high-risk sports. “It does still remain a parent’s choice,” said Whalen, noting schools will have parents submit waivers. “You still have it within your right not to sign that waiver,” she said.

Whalen also noted, rather than starting games today, when the rate is just below 4 percent, and then calling them off tomorrow if the rate tops 4 percent, schools can decide to “wait and see.”

“I myself would prefer a more cautious approach …,” said Whalen. “None of us have a crystal ball.”

She said, while she is hopeful the downward trend from the post-holiday surge will continue, she is concerned about the highly contagious variant first identified in the United Kingdom, known as B.1.1.7.

Whalen called it “the biggest unknown for me.”

As of Monday evening, the webpage where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maps variants of COVID-19 reported in the United States, reports that New York State has had 59 cases of B.1.1.7 so far.

Nationwide, 33 states have reported a total of 690 B.1.1.7 cases with the most in Florida, at 201, followed by California, at 150.

Newest numbers

McCoy opened Monday’s press conference by reporting two more county residents — a man and a woman in their eighties — had died of COVID-19. This brings the county’s death toll from the disease to 334.

As of Monday morning, Albany County has had 19,111 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of the 75 new cases, 27 did not have clear sources of infection identified, 35 had close contact with someone infected with the disease, and three are healthcare workers or residents of congregate settings.

The five-day average for new daily positives has increased to 116.4 from 115.2. There are now 991 active cases in the county, down from 1,107 on Sunday.

The number of county residents under mandatory quarantine decreased to 2006 from 2,109. So far, 58,042 residents have completed quarantine. Of those, 18,120 had tested positive and recovered. That is an increase of 184 recoveries since Sunday.

There were three new hospitalizations overnight, and there are now 97 county residents currently hospitalized from the virus – a net decrease of five. There are now 15 patients in intensive-care units, up from 14 on Sunday.

Of the state’s 10 regions, the Capital Region continues to have the worst rates for available hospital beds and ICU beds.

Currently, 326 Capital Region residents are hospitalized with the disease, which is 0.03 percent of the region’s population and leaves 27 percent of its beds available.

Statewide, 0.04 percent of New Yorkers are hospitalized with COVID-19, which is 0.04 percent of the population and leaves 34 percent of beds available.

Currently, 200 of the Capital Region’s 237 ICU beds are filled, leaving 16 percent available.

Statewide, 26 percent of ICU beds are available.

The Capital Region’s infection rate, as of Sunday, as a seven-day average, was 3.41 percent. Statewide the positivity rate was 4.42 percent.

As of Sunday, Albany County, as a seven-day rolling average, had an infection rate of 3.9 percent, according to the state’s dashboard.