• Columbia County has had 37 residents who have passed away from COVID-19.

• Columbia County has had 523 confirmed positive cases.

• 477 of the 523 cases have recovered from COVID-19

• There are 9 active cases of COVID-19 in Columbia County.

• 3 of the positive cases are hospitalized, but none of those hospitalized are in the ICU

• We are monitoring 34 county residents on mandatory quarantine, and there are 4 on precautionary quarantine.

• We have received 21,438 PCR reports. Please note this number may represent duplicate reports, out of county reports, and multiple nursing home testings.

• UPDATED TOWN AND NURSING HOME NUMBERS OF COVID-19 CASES AS OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2020

Friday, August 14, 2020

From the Columbia County Board of Supervisors

Chairman’s Press Release

As the school year approaches, the Columbia County Health Department has been working with school officials and school nurses on COVID-19 expectations regarding the student population.

“If they see sick kids, they’re seeking guidance on how to handle it all,” said county DOH Director Jack Mabb. “We tell them to follow state DOH guidelines: If he or she has a 100.0° or higher temperature, alert the parents and send the kid home. They’ll need to see a doctor,” added Director Mabb.

“Most schools have developed isolation rooms they can keep suspected infected students in until their parents arrive.” “Doctors are going to play a critical role in how we proceed,” he said. “In a way it’s business as usual. Parents bring home a sick child from school and call their doctor for an appointment for the child to be seen.

But we’ve all had the experience of doctors who don’t want children with suspected cases of the flu in their waiting room and I’m sure they’ll feel the same about suspected COVID cases. We just need to find a way for that assessment to take place because there just isn’t testing capacity for every child who has symptoms to be COVID tested.”

When asked by one school nurse what they might expect in terms of infected students, Director Mabb said he pointed to the current roughly one percent rate of infection in New York State. Testing, Director Mabb said, remains a critical component in the battle against COVID-19.

“However it can be done, we need to increase testing capacity, not just here but across the state, which means you have to have labs with the ability to take on the processing. We can test all day, but if the kits can’t be processed in a timely way it makes the containment efforts of contact tracing virtually useless. In some cases, labs are getting results back to their clients in 12-14 days, and what good is that? There’s no way to contact trace under those circumstances.”

Columbia County Health Department Director Jack Mabb has announced future COVID-19 testing clinics for August on Mondays 17, 24, and 31. The testing will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the sidewalk in front of the John L. Edwards Primary School in Hudson.

The DOH will be limiting the walkup clinics to 50 tests each. It is recommended anyone who would like to be tested get to the clinic as early as possible to ensure they secure one of the 50 tests. Pre-registration will not be necessary for the walkup clinics.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, any municipal or private agency/organization that would like free NYS hand sanitizer can come to the Public Safety Facility (PSF) parking lot at 85 Industrial Tract, Hudson, where they will receive up to two cases (eight gallons) of hand sanitizer per week based upon the size and need of the organization. Small spray bottles of hand sanitizer will also be available.

“I would like to remind everyone that the hand sanitizer, which is provided to us by the state, can only be handed out to Columbia County businesses, non-profits, and municipal/governmental agencies,” said county Emergency Management Director Harrison. Those coming to the PSF for hand sanitizer should enter the north entrance (NYS DOT side) of the PSF parking area, and drive to the white “Sheriff’s” utility trailer in front of the building. Emergency Management and Sheriff’s Department staff will dispense the hand sanitizer at that point.

Those wishing to donate cloth masks to the county stockpile may contact the county Emergency Management office at 518-828-1212 or [email protected]. Or Supervisor Rob Lagonia at [email protected]

Monetary: Monetary donations intended for the purchase of coronavirus testing kits and much-needed equipment for emergency responders, medical personnel, and others on the front lines of the coronavirus fight are advised to send a check in care of Columbia County, with coronavirus noted in the memo field. The check can be sent to the Columbia County Controller’s Office, 401 State Street, Hudson, NY 12534. All money received is being placed in a dedicated account.

PPE: Those wishing to make donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as N95 masks, face shields, and gowns, are advised to contact the Emergency Management Office at 518-828-1212. If no one answers, leave a message and someone will return the call.

Food: Donations should be directed to the county Office for the Aging (518-828-4258) and local food pantries.

Family Assistance Network: As part of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Columbia County Emergency Management has asked leaders in the human services and spiritual areas of our community for help, Director of Emergency Management David W. Harrison, Jr., said Saturday. The individuals were asked to form a Family Assistance Network to provide information to assist county residents who may be dealing with someone close to them who passed away as a result of the COVID-19 virus. Information on where someone can reach out for help is posted on various websites, including the Columbia County website and Emergency Management Facebook page.

Hotline for Elderly and Vulnerable: Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett has established a hotline for the elderly and vulnerable in our county, including those with medical conditions or are disabled, who would welcome a deputy checking on their well-being on a daily basis. The number for the hotline is 518-828-0601, extension 1400.

It is the county’s intention to issue accurate information regarding the coronavirus situation under conditions that can change by the minute. For the most up-to-date, accurate information, visit the County Department of Health’s website at https://www.columbiacountynyhealth.com/home/coronavirus-covid-19 or their Facebook page @: https://www.facebook.com/Columbia-County-Department-of-Health-469399129790791/.

The state’s coronavirus website, with up-to-the-minute information, can be located at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home. The county will issue a press release on the coronavirus situation Monday, Wednesday & Fridays. The releases can be found on the Columbia County website and the Facebook pages of the Sheriff’s Office, the Department of Health, and the Emergency Management Office.