ALBANY COUNTY — As COVID infection rates in Albany County and across the state continue to fall, Governor Kathy Hochul, at a storm briefing on Friday, said, “It’s time to start talking about our post-pandemic or post-surge phase.”

She noted that, just as the snow and freezing rain were falling, the COVID infection rates were falling, too.

“Right now, we’re in an information-gathering phase,” said Hochul, stressing that her decisions will be based on data.

She said she has spoken with Anthony Fauci, with hospital and business leaders, with educators, and local government leaders — “bringing them all to the table.”

Hochul congratulated New Yorkers on their high vaccination rate and for following protocols while also urging caution with Super Bowl and Valentines gatherings.

She concluded she would talk to her health experts “and then make some decisions in the next few days, the next few weeks about the requirements that we have in place to keep us safe and whether or not they’re going to be as necessary.”

Hochul had earlier extended the mask-or-vax requirements for businesses from Feb. 1 to Feb 10 and masks are still required in schools while a court decision is pending.

In Albany County, Executive Daniel McCoy last reported a COVID-related death, of a woman in her fifties, occurring on Feb 2. This brings the county’s death toll from the coronavirus to 516.

On Friday morning, in his daily COVID release, McCoy reported 243 new cases, putting the county’s seven-day average at 203.

Albany County now has, as a seven-day average, 53.5 COVID cases per 100,000 of population and an infection rate of 8 percent.

Statewide, New York has 43.8 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 and an infection rate of 5.2 percent, both as a seven-day average, according to the state’s tracker.

There were 11 new hospitalizations of Albany County residents since Thursday, and there are now 79 residents currently hospitalized with the coronavirus – a net increase of one. Twelve of those hospital patients are currently in intensive-care units, down from 14 yesterday.

 As of Thursday, 80.5 percent of all Albany County residents have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and 73.1 percent are now fully vaccinated. The first-dose vaccination rate for county residents 18 and older is now at 89.1 percent.

Free tests

On Thursday, the Biden administration announced that Medicare recipients will by “early spring” be able to get COVID-19 tests for free.

Medicare covers about 60 million Americans; most of them are 65 or older, some are people with disabilities.

“Under the new initiative, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to access up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month for free,” the announcement said. “Tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities. This policy will apply to COVID-19 over-the-counter tests approved or authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Until then, people with Medicare can request four free over-the-counter tests for home delivery at covidtests.gov or they can access COVID-19 tests through healthcare providers at over 20,000 free testing sites nationwide.

Additionally, they can access lab-based PCR tests and antigen tests performed by a laboratory when the test is ordered by a physician, non-physician practitioner, pharmacist, or other authorized health care professional at no cost.