Monday, November 9, 2020

From the Columbia County Board of Supervisors

CHAIRMAN’S PRESS RELEASE

COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ACTIVATED

As cases of COVID-19 steadily continue to rise in Columbia County, the county Emergency Operations Center has been activated, said Emergency Management Director David Harrison, Jr., on Monday. At this point, the EOC will be open and monitored virtually from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Calls outside of those hours will be referred directly to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

The telephone number for the county Emergency Operations Center is 518-828-1212. Director Harrison said the activation of the Emergency Operations Center is a strong indication that county leaders are prepared to take all available steps to help minimize the spread of the virus. “We’re now in a situation that equals or exceeds that of this past spring. We’re setting records on active cases and mandatory quarantines and I don’t see an end to it anytime soon. We can only do whatever we possibly can to slow things down,” he said.

In addition, in response to the ever-increasing number of positive cases through the county, county leaders that have met regularly since the beginning of pandemic have increased their weekly meeting schedule.

County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb reported Monday that 26 new positive cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the county over the past two days, bringing to 103 the number of current actives cases. There are 368 individuals under mandatory quarantine. Twenty-five are hospitalized, with one on a ventilator. “We’ve never had this many active cases at one time,” said Director Mabb. “We’re seeing all community spread, with cases scattered throughout the county ranging from age two on up. We are now at a 1.7% incident rate – with this trend, we’ll be over 2% at the end of the week.”

New Financial Donation

Columbia County has received a $1,000 monetary donations toward the purchase of additional coronavirus testing kits, county Chairman Murell said Monday. The donation was made by Lorraine Coyle Koppell and Oliver Koppell of Bronx, NY. Prior donations from the public have amounted to $42,802. “This generous donation is a big assist in the county effort to minimize the effects of this disease on our population, and we thank them,” said Chairman Murell.

CORONAVIRUS TESTING SITES

New York Testing Site, University at Albany. By appointment only at 888-364-3065 or www.covid19screening.health.ny.gov;

WellNow Urgent Care, 446 Fairview Avenue, Hudson. 518-267- 3496. May be out-of-pocket costs;

Columbia County Department of Health. 518-828-3358. Check www.columbiacountynyhealth.com for scheduled walk-up and drive-thru clinics;

Greene County Department of Health. 518-719-3600. By appointment only on Wednesdays from 5-6:30 p.m.

Also, Community Care Physicians, Latham. 518-863-3600. 12-7 p.m.;

Priority 1 Urgent Care, Guilderland. 518-867-8040;

Whitney Young, Albany. 518-465-4771;

Rite Aid, Colonie. 518-267-3496;

CareMount Medical Urgent Care, Rhinebeck. 844-484-6564;

Rapid Testing, Albany. 518-240-1456. Insurance is billed;

Walgreens Rapid Testing, Albany. 518-426-2976.

COUNTY DOH FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE

The flu vaccine will be offered by appointment only at the regularly scheduled immunization clinic every Tuesday from 1-3:30 p.m. at Columbia County Department of Health at 325 Columbia Street, Hudson. An evening immunization clinic is also available on the third Tuesday of each month from 4-6 p.m. All clinics are by appointment only. The flu vaccine is the best protection we have from the flu and its complication, and has become even more critical in the time of COVID-19. Talk to your doctor before getting the flu shot if you have ever had a serious allergic reaction to eggs or a previous flu shot, or have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

The DOH accepts the following insurance plans: Blue Shield of North East New York, CDPHP, Fidelis, Medicare Part B, MVP, Medicaid, and United Health Care. Other senior plans may be billed, including some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. If you are uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for a lower fee or no fee for the flu vaccine. All others are expected to pay a fee of $42 for the flu vaccine, with the exact cash amount or checks accepted. Debit or credit cards are not accepted.

UPCOMING COVID-19 MOBILE TESTING CLINICS

Future clinics at the John L. Edwards Primary School in Hudson will be held on Tuesdays November 10 and 17, and December 1. All clinics will be held from 9-11 a.m. The clinics are limited to 100 tests. Pre-registration is not required. A form of photo identification will be necessary, and masks are required for entry. These will be nasopharyngeal swabs which are useful in detecting the virus in actively sick people. The kits used at these clinics are part of those purchased with the help of private donations to Columbia County. Symptoms most typical of COVID-19 include fever, cough, trouble breathing, loss of taste or smell, as well as any symptoms consistent with CDC guidelines.

COUNTY STILL ACCEPTING MASK DONATIONS

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]

OTHER 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. 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.

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/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, and Thursdays. 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.