COVID-19 Updates
by Doug La Rocque
As of press time, the only school district in our coverage area that was on a fully remote learning schedule was the Cambridge School District. Hoosick Falls, Tamarac, Berlin, New Lebanon, Averill Park and Schodack are all using a hybrid in person learning model. Cambridge School Superintendent Dr. Douglas Sivernell has stated in a letter on the district’s Facebook site, they plan to return to in person learning on Monday, January 11, unless conditions change.
As of Wednesday afternoon, January 6, the Capital Region’s infection rate had topped 10 percent. Many schools are planning to voluntarily test 20 percent of their students every two weeks, using the rapid test method. This does not require the deep nasal swab and is done on students and staff who are asymptotic. The results are available in about 15 minutes and are designed to detect protein fragments specific to COVID-19.
When Will I Get Vaccinated
That is the question on the minds and lips of many around Rensselaer County. Vaccines are currently being administered to health care workers in patient care settings, long-term care facility workers and residents who are most at risk in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. Staff members in New York State hospitals are also on this list.
According to Rensselaer County Director of Operations Rich Crist, the county is fielding many phone calls daily from people who want to know when they might be able to be vaccinated. To that effect, the county has put out an advisory that says vaccinations will be on a voluntary basis according to guidelines set by the CDC and New York State. The county does not control the vaccine distribution schedule, including when they may arrive. Note: The vaccines currently being dispensed in the health care facilities are sent directly, and are not for use in the general public. Rensselaer County is still awaiting shipments of vaccine for general use from New York State. Announcements will be made regarding time and place for vaccination of county residents on social media, local media and other forms, once these vaccines are received.
Vaccines will be done via prior registration and the county will soon be unveiling a website for these registrations. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday, there are 343 sites in the Capital Region, presently enrolled to administer the vaccines.
The situation with the schools, any shutdowns and the vaccination rollouts changes daily. The Eastwick Press will endeavor to keep everyone updated via our facebook page and website if there is new information, prior to our next publication.
The Numbers
Late Wednesday afternoon, January 6, The Rensselaer County Department of Health confirmed 100 new COVID-19 cases in the county, 23 of which were in the Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Troy. It also confirmed the death of a 74-year old East Greenbush woman, the 95th death in the county since the pandemic began last March. There are currently 1,584 active cases in the county, 50 of these people currently hospitalized, with six reported to be in Intensive Care.
In Columbia County, 52 new COVID-19 cases were reported, bringing the total number of active cases to 325. Of those, 29 people are hospitalized with one in Intensive Care. Columbia County has recorded 51 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
A Plea For Help
On Wednesday, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin wrote Governor Andrew Cuomo to ask the state to accelerate delivery of vaccines to counties, saying Rensselaer County is ready and willing to quickly provide vaccinations. In the letter he stated that yesterday, Tuesday, January 5, County Executives from both sides of the political aisle and from across New York State, participated in a virtual press conference organized by the NYS Association of Counties to call on your administration to end the obstructions and accelerate the delivery of vaccines. He claims other states are ahead of New York in this process and added we do not want to see the days turn into weeks turn into months as delays continue with the delivery of the vaccinations, and new COVID-19 cases continue to accumulate.