Living With COVID-19
By Doug La Rocque
Both Governor Andrew Cuomo and President Donald Trump have warned in the past few days, they expect the worst part of the pandemic to occur in the United States and New York State within the next two to three weeks. Governor Cuomo’s statements have dealt with the state as a whole, but have been primarily directed downstate, where 80 to 90 percent of the COVID-19 cases and the vast majority of the reported deaths that have occurred. But what about upstate, and in particular, Rensselaer County. Most of the cases that have been confirmed are in the cities of Troy and Rensselaer, as well as the Towns of East and North Greenbush. As of press time, there were four reported cases in Hoosick Falls, one in Pittstown and one in Stephentown. Altogether, a total of 60 cases. There have been no reported deaths in the county.
As the closure of all but essential services continues, there is building concern about the fiscal health of the county, as well as the physical. The Eastwick Press spoke to County Executive Steve McLaughlin about both. Here is what he said. “Rensselaer County is tough enough to weather any challenges. We have stood up during tough times and we are standing up again. The work of our Health and emergency services teams has been inspiring, and we are seeing small businesses work to meet the challenge of our new reality.
Just as our county is tough, we are also compassionate. We need residents to continue to support the small businesses and businesses that serve our county, and to also look out for their neighbors while maintaining social distancing and common-sense practices. Our seniors especially would appreciate getting a call, a text or a message on social media. Let them know you are there and that you care.
There are also opportunities to volunteer to help our seniors, help those in need and support our health and emergency services workers. Call my office at 518-270-2900.
We are already encouraged by those residents who have stepped forward to help, or contribute, just by staying positive or offering encouraging words. We are in a battle now, and we need to rise to the challenge as a county. I believe we are doing that, and will continue to be courageous, compassionate and strong.
“When this outbreak is stopped, we need to focus on rebuilding our communities and county. The COVID-19 outbreak will cause loss of revenues, increased demand on services and other uncertainties. We will be relying on residents to support local businesses, and will need to see a continuation of the cooperation that we are now seeing between different levels of government. Our shared focus must be on rebuilding and revitalization.”
To this end, small business needs to know there are plans to help restart and support their efforts. One entity that knows how to help, is the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Here is what their President, Kate Manley has to say: “During these unprecedented times for our local business community, the Chamber has been leveraging our resources to provide guidance and clarity to our membership. Understanding the availability and application process for federal funding from the Small Business Association will be critical for many businesses at the moment. Through our existing partnerships, we’ve been in constant communication with our membership to explain the ever-changing mandates and provide virtual webinar sessions to guide businesses through the specifics. The Chamber remains committed to serving the Rensselaer County business community throughout this process, and if there is anything we can do to help, we encourage businesses to contact us directly.”
Information about COVID-19 is now available from just about any county health department website, or from the Center for Disease Control. Locally, most area towns and villages have programs set up to help any of their residents who might need some form of assistance.