Chairman’s press release
MASK WEARING NOW ADVISED INDOORS IN PUBLIC PLACES

Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said today that as of midday, the DOH had recorded seven new positive cases of COVID-19 among county residents. For the days of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday combined, 15 new cases were recorded. There are currently two individuals hospitalized, with one in the ICU.
“It was a rough week last week – we had more positive cases last week than in all of the previous month, and it appears that pattern is continuing,” said Director Mabb.
With the news from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that Columbia County is now considered a community at substantial risk for COVID-19 transmission, the CDC is recommending all individuals, whether vaccinated or not, to wear a mask when indoors. In addition, county DOH is now requiring all its employees to wear a mask when in the DOH Office. “Pretty much all area departments of health and hospitals are now doing the same,” said Director Mabb.
“The county is not instituting a mask mandate at this point,” said county Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell. “The way things stand, people need to make their own mask decisions. I would say, if you’re unsure, wear a mask. We are strongly recommending that masks be worn indoors in public places.”
County Emergency Management Director David Harrison added that businesses can require the wearing of masks in their places of business.
The latest CDC mask guidance by county can be found at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view
DOH Director Mabb said the today that the county’s vaccination rate is up by a half percentage point since last Thursday: “Three hundred county residents have gotten vaccinated since then. It’s clear people are responding to the news about the Delta variant.”
Vaccination opportunities are posted on the county DOH website at columbiacountynyhealth.com
ADVISORY: Please note that the numbers distributed in Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell’s coronavirus press releases are morning results provided to the county Department of Health via the state reporting system. Updated numbers are issued again by the state in the afternoon, ordinarily past the time this press release is distributed. Consequently, there may be discrepancies in the numbers that appear here versus the final daily numbers shown on the DOH website and elsewhere.

COUNTY VACCINATION RATE
As of Monday, August 2, the Columbia County Department of Health had administered 10,875 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Second doses now number 9,367. The vaccine administered is Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson. Note: J&J – a one dose vaccine – is added as a first shot.
The total number of Columbia County residents by all vaccine providers, as shown on the NYS COVID-19 vaccine tracker website:
34,369 have completed the vaccine series. 37,204 have received at least one dose, or 62.1 percent of the county’s 59,916 population. 71.5 percent of the county’s over-18 population has received at least one shot.
COUNTY DOH OFFERS WEEKLY VAX HOURS
Every Tuesday and Thursday during the hours of 1 to 3:30 p.m., the Columbia County Department of Health offers COVID-19 vaccinations at its 325 Columbia Street, Hudson location. Every third Tuesday of the month, the immunization clinic runs from 1-6 p.m. On Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m., the county DOH will offer vaccinations (weather permitting) at the Waterfront Wednesday’s family friendly public programming on the Hudson waterfront.
SENIORS & HOMEBOUND RESIDENTS –
DO YOU NEED VACCINATION REGISTRATION HELP?
Columbia County Seniors and/or homebound residents in need of assistance getting themselves registered for the COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to contact the county call center Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The telephone number is 518-697-5560.
COUNTY VACCINATION INFORMATION PHONE LINE
he Columbia County call center dedicated to helping those requiring assistance with vaccine registration is active Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The dedicated telephone number is 518-697- 5560.
CORONAVIRUS TESTING SITES (as of 8-2-2021)
New York State DOH, 888-364-3065. CMH Copake Rapid Care, call for appointment, 518-329-3902. CMH Valatie Rapid Care, call for appointment, 518-758-4300. WellNow Urgent Care, Hudson, 518-267-3496. CVS-Valatie, call for appointment, 518-758-2200. Pine Plains Pharmacy, online preregistration required, 518-398-5588. CareMount Medical Urgent Care, Rhinebeck. CVS-Red Hook, call for appointment, 845-758-9612.
Also, Community Care Physicians, Latham, 518-863-3600. Whitney Young, Albany, 518-465-4771. Priority 1 Urgent Care, Guilderland, 518-867-8040. Rite Aid-Colonie, 518-240-1456. Central Med Urgent Care, Albany, 518- 240-1456. Walgreens Rapid Testing, 518-426-2976. EmUrgentCare, Albany, Saugerties, West Coxsackie, Guilderland, 518-264-9000 for all locations.
AT-HOME COVID-19 TEST AVAILABLE
LabCorp currently offers an at-home COVID-19 test at https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/at-home-test- kits/covid-19-test-home-collection-kit. This test does not detect antibodies or immunity. It is designed to determine active infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.

After completing a short eligibility survey, choose a billing option, which can be through personal insurance, the use of federal funds to cover the cost of this test on your behalf if you’re uninsured, or with a credit card. The test kit will arrive via FedEx. After collecting and returning your sample, the average time to deliver results is one-two days from when your sample is received at the lab, according to LabCorp.
DONATION INFORMATION
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. Food: Donations should be directed to the county Office for the Aging (518-828-4258) and local food pantries.
DISCLAIMER
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 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.
Every Tuesday, the county will issue a press release on the coronavirus situation. 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.