ALBANY – County executive Dan McCoy announced on Sunday that Albany County residents over the age of 75 will be able to start registering for the COVID-19 vaccine starting at 8 am on Monday.
A telephone number and a state-run website will be provided on Monday morning. McCoy warned, “Please be patient, you will probably be overwhelmed.”
In addition, the municipality expects to receive only 1,000 vaccines and all workers who should be part of the first phase, 1A, who have not yet been vaccinated, will have priority. Once the county receives the vaccine, all vaccines can be administered this week.
In addition, elderly people living in apartment complexes may be vaccinated in their homes.
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The county has partnered with Mohawk Ambulance to effectively and quickly ensure that elderly people who are unable to travel from their homes to receive the vaccine receive the vaccine.
“This partnership will ensure that the elderly do not fall into the cracks,” McCoy said at a news conference on Sunday morning at the Times Union Center. “This partnership will ensure that they are vaccinated at your location.”
The Mohawk Ambulance has been preparing for months to obtain, store and administer the vaccine effectively. McCoy said they have a capacity to receive more than 300,000 vaccines as the Capital Region prepares for group 1B for vaccines.
“We are ready, Governor (Andrew Cuomo). We are ready, willing and able, ”said McCoy. “We are ready, therefore, if we receive the vaccines tomorrow, we can apply them in the arms of 75-year-olds.”
McCoy said he anticipates that 1,000 vaccines will be delivered to the county this week, and continues to call on the federal government to distribute more vaccines.
As dosages are delivered, the county will work with apartment building owners and businesses to ensure that seniors sign up to the Mohawk Ambulance to deliver vaccines. Individual stops for elderly residents of single-family homes will also be available if they apply for the vaccine by calling the state or through the state’s website.
“We have a safe and effective vaccine, we have an end in mind,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “With this partnership, we believe that we will be able to quickly and effectively vaccinate some of the most vulnerable people in the city of Albany and in the county of Albany.”
As the county prepares to deliver vaccines to group 1B, however, there are still concerns that vaccines have not been administered to everyone in group 1A.
“Unfortunately, it is these low-income health workers, health aides,” said Sheehan. “They may not have time, they may not know how they can do that on their schedule. So, we want to make sure that we are providing this information as well. “
Individuals in group 1A who have not yet been vaccinated will be prioritized with the 1,000 new vaccines the county will receive this week, McCoy said, but the remaining vaccines will be distributed to individuals in group 1B.
Meanwhile, Albany County lost its youngest resident to COVID-19 overnight. A man in his 20s died of the virus, bringing the total death toll in the county to 250. Previously, the youngest person known to die in Albany County was 29 years old.
The county also maintained its January trend of nightly cases of COVID-19 hovering around 300, with 279 new positive cases on Sunday. The five-day average of positive cases also increased to 276.6 from 272.2.
Of the new positive cases on Sunday, 36 had close contact with other positive cases, 14 were health professionals and 229 did not have a clear source of infection.
Hospitals continue to deal with overwhelming numbers, with 13 new overnight hospitalizations and a total of 147 people currently hospitalized for the virus – although this is a net reduction from two of Saturday’s 149 hospitalizations.
The seven-day average of percent positive test results fell in the Capital Region from 10.16 percent on Thursday to 9.25 percent on Saturday. Although there has been a decrease, it still leaves the region as one of the best-rated COVID-19 areas in the state, behind only Mohawk Valley (10.02%), Long Island (9.6%) and Finger Lakes (9.55 %)
In line with the authorities’ warnings, the region’s hospital capacity has significantly decreased after the holiday season and continues to be excessively expanded. Currently, only 25% of hospital beds in the Capital Region are available, the lowest percentage in the state and well below the state availability of 34%.
The intensive care units in the area are also overloaded, with only 18% of the ICU beds available – again, the lowest percentage in the state, and behind 27% in the entire state.
“We need to think and operate differently than we did in the past 300 days,” said McCoy. “If you can remain remote, stay remote. If you don’t have to leave, don’t leave. “