‘RACE TO VACCINATE’
With cases on the rise, Albany County officials urge people to get the vaccine when they can
ALBANY, N.Y. » A race against time. With infection rates on the rise, Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy and Albany County Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen voiced their concerns and again advocated to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for vaccination eligibility expansion to stem the tide of cases.
Nearly two weeks after St. Patrick’s Day, coupled with returning spring breakers and people relaxing mitigation efforts, Albany County has seen its seven-day rolling average increase to 2.1% for positive cases.
“If you look back 10 days you can see a concerning trend in our numbers. I think partially because people are letting their guard down a little bit, spring break’s here, the weather’s changing,” McCoy said, confirming 61 new positive cases on Monday.
“I know some people are going out and they’re starting to drop their masks, they’re starting to let their guard down. The light’s at the end of the tunnel but we’re not there yet. So please be cautious,” McCoy
noted.
Whalen echoed those concerns as well.
“We’re watching our numbers very carefully and we have seen some evidence that we’re not continuing to see a downward trend and are concerned that the numbers could start to tick up,” Whalen remarked.
“There are many reasons for this concern but the two primary reasons are the increased prevalence across
the country of Covid variants that are more highly contagious and the just as important, the relaxation of mitigation efforts,” Whalen explained.
This comes as New York and other nearby states have experienced an uptick as well.
“It’s not just here in Albany County and the Capital Region,” McCoy said.
“We’re seeing infection rates spike in downstate, New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan, and others across the country. New York and New Jersey are now number one and number two for the highest infection rate based on population, so we have to be concerned with that,” McCoy noted.
Encompassed within the new case count announced by the county executive, 44 did not have a present clear infection source, 33 had close contact with other positive cases, five reported traveling out of state and one was a healthcare worker or resident of a congregate setting.
The county has 555 active cases, up from 547 Sunday. The number of people under mandatory quarantine increased to 1,400 from 1,345. Conversely, 73 cases were cleared for recovery and release.
There were two new hospitalizations overnight. Currently, there are 28 county residents hospitalized from the virus, with one patient in the ICU, down from two on Sunday.
Given the jump in cases, the two reiterated the call for more vaccinations and encouraged people to get vaccinated when their time comes.
“The problem is it’s getting harder and harder to fill. We’re all competing for that [eligible] age group. CDC says one thing with the priority list. Our state has it at another for the priority list,” McCoy remarked on the welcome problem of having “too much” vaccine.
“I am advocating again today to just open it up to everyone who needs to get the vaccine. It’s time Governor, it’s time to open this up to everybody because look around us, most states are going to April 15,” McCoy implored on ramping up vaccination efforts.
Whalen agreed on the need to expand vaccinations.
“We’re at a race. We’re at a race because we know in other parts of the country we are seeing higher rates of Covid. We know that is a concern that could hit us here in Albany County and we are racing to vaccinate people,” Whalen opined.
“So, I think that we are in a good position in Albany County, and certainly looking at our numbers for the Capital Region, we are ahead of the curve for vaccination in the state. So that is good news but it’s not a complete reassurance,” Whalen explained.
“We need to continue to get the word out for people to be vaccinated when their time comes. When you are eligible for [a] vaccine, sign up for vaccination,” Whalen added.
Following McCoy’s press briefing, Cuomo answered those pleas to expand vaccination eligibility, announcing that beginning March 30, at 8 a.m., all New Yorkers age 30 and above will be eligible to schedule and receive vaccines.
Additionally, starting Tuesday, April 6, at 8 a.m., all New Yorkers age 16 and above will be eligible to schedule and receive the COVID-19 vaccines.
A new report from the CDC further confirmed the advocacy and effectiveness of the vaccines.
The study included 3,950 health care personnel, first responders, and other essential and frontline workers completed weekly SARS-CoV-2 testing for 13 consecutive weeks. Under real-world conditions, mRNA vaccine effectiveness of full immunization (≥14 days after second dose) was 90% against SARS-CoV-2 infections regardless of symptom status; vaccine effectiveness of partial immunization (≥14 days after first dose but before second dose) was 80%.