Did Albany County COVID-19 Cases Raise Due To Holiday Parties?

Residents of New York are very fortunate that we are no longer the epicenter for COVID-19. This is good news for us, we can’t slack up. There is some alarming news that the Capital Region is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

Yesterday Albany County reported 44 new COVID-19 cases. Albany County has not seen that many new cases in a while. The last time we even came close to that many cases was on June 1, when the County reported 37 cases.

According to Times Union, Health officials believe that the recent surge in COVID-19 positivity rates can be attributed to the Fourth of July weekend. They also believe that the increase in cases can be connected to family gatherings, graduation parties, funerals, and people traveling out of state. Officials are so concerned about the 4th of July transmissions that they are encouraging residents to get tested. Dr. Elizabeth Whalen of the Health Commissioner’s Office said, “The party that was referenced, that we have six cases currently tied to, was not at a single home, from what we’re hearing, but was in a large area of backyards on Hudson Avenue in Albany. So if you were at that party on Hudson Avenue in the backyard, please please get tested.“ Six cases attributed to one party can be just the beginning of a much larger outbreak.

All of this means that we are moving in the wrong direction. We have seen that COVID-19 can be somewhat controlled. We have to continue to be diligent by wearing our masks, washing our hands, and socially distancing ourselves when possible. Continue to be diligent!