(NEWS10) — Good Morning and happy Monday, Capital Region!
Lots of news occurred over the weekend. Here’s a quick recap starting with the latest numbers from New York State.
- Updated coronavirus numbers in The Capital Region: Although the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, the number of new deaths dropped for the first time since the outbreak began. These are the local numbers as of Sunday afternoon, according to the New York State Department of Health.
| County | Positive Cases |
|---|---|
| Albany | 305 |
| Columbia | 51 |
| Dutchess | 1,077 |
| Fulton | 9 |
| Greene | 24 |
| Hamilton | 2 |
| Herkimer | 22 |
| Montgomery | 15 |
| Rensselaer | 60 |
| Saratoga | 148 |
| Schenectady | 128 |
| Schoharie | 11 |
| Ulster | 332 |
| Warren | 25 |
| Washington | 18 |
New York State had a total of 122,031 confirmed cases and more than 4,159 deaths as of Sunday afternoon, according to data gathered from the New York State Department of Health.
On Saturday, the New York State government released its own map system, using the numbers also reported in Gov. Cuomo’s daily press releases.
Unfortunately, the numbers provided by the state are not always completely up-to-date. Each county releases regular updates, sometimes daily, with more accurate information involving particular cases, releases, and quarantines.
For the best representation for coronavirus numbers in your area, we’ll keep you informed at NEWS10.
2. UAlbany COVID-19 testing site to open today: A state run COVID-19 testing site will open on UAlbany’s Campus Monday morning. The testing site is by appointment only.
If you feel you may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and would like to get tested, you must call the COVID-19 hotline at 888-364-3065.
If approved for testing you’ll be given a PIN number to have access to test on-site.
Albany mayor Kathy Sheehan said even if you can’t access a test, if you don’t feel well, stay home and limit your exposure to others. She added that local hospitals are working together to ensure they have the capacity to meet the needs expected here in the Capital region.
3. Governor Cuomo signs 2021 budget: Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the fiscal year 2021 budget on Friday. Enhancements to the Criminal Justice Reform Act, elimination of Styrofoam, prescription lowering measures and elimination of the pink tax were all included in the budget.
“It would have been very easy to say, ‘Oh, this is an extraordinary year; let’s just do the bare minimum and go home.’ We did the opposite. We said there is a lot of need and there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and we stepped up to the plate and we got it done,” said Governor Cuomo.
Included in 2021 budget:
- Paid sick leave program
- Middle-class tax cuts
- Legalization of gestational surrogacy
- First-in-the-nation domestic terrorism law
- Prohibiting of individuals who commit serious offenses in other states from obtaining a N.Y. gun license
- Ban of flavored E-Cigarettes
- Cap of Insulin co-payments at $100 a month
- Outlawing ‘Pink Tax’
- Permanent ban of Hydro-Fracking
- Ban distribution and use of Styrofoam
- Providing housing for the homeless
- Higher education
- New plans for NY
- Democracy and building trust in government
- Promoting public health
4. China donates 1000 ventilators to New York; Oregon donates 140: Cuomo says that 1,000 ventilators arrived at Kennedy Airport on Saturday, donated by a Chinese foundation, Joseph and Clara Tsai Foundation, and facilitated by Chinese government officials. Joseph and Clara Tsai Foundation and the Jack Ma Foundation also donated one million surgical masks, one million KN95 masks, and over 100,000 pairs of goggles.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has also directed her health experts to give New York an additional 140 ventilators from that state’s stockpile.
In collaboration with the Knicks and the Nets, The National Baseball Association will also contribute one million surgical masks.
Cuomo also issued an executive order allowing medical students set for graduation to begin practicing medicine.
5. CDC recommending Americans cover their faces with non-medical masks: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed its guidelines and is now recommending that Americans cover their faces when out in public, especially around other people.
The latest guidance suggests that Americans use makeshift coverings, such as T-shirts, scarves or bandanas to cover their noses and mouths. Medical-grade masks, especially N95 masks, are to be reserved for those on the front lines of trying to contain the pandemic.
Here’s a link to learn how to make your own mask: CLICK HERE
Other notable headlines…
- News10 Exclusive: Emerson College poll reveals the reality of coronavirus in New York: When asked, “When this is finally over, will your life return to the way it was before or not?” More than half of you who responded, 54%, say life will never be the same.
- Report: Fired Navy captain tests positive for coronavirus: Capt. Brett E. Crozier, who was fired after he sought help for his coronavirus-stricken Aircraft carrier, has tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, according to a report from the New York Times.
- Tiger at NYC’s Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus: A tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for the new coronavirus, in what is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the U.S. or a tiger anywhere, federal officials and the zoo said Sunday.
- Staying afloat in the Capital Region: Beer Bones in Latham adapting to taproom closures: Staying Afloat in the Capital Region is a digital series focusing on how local businesses are surviving amid the global health crisis. This segment features Beer Bones, a taproom and beer shop in Latham, a business that normally thrives with in-person interaction.
Local non-COVID-19 related headlines…
- APD investigating Friday night shooting, one person taken to Albany Medical Center: Police say a 19-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was treated at Albany Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.
- Police investigate early morning crash on Route 9: A crash shut down a portion of Route 9 both ways between Boght and Fonda Roads early Monday morning. The scene was cleared by 4:45 a.m. Monday. NEWS10 is working to learn more information about the crash and the condition of the people involved.
And let’s send things off with a positive story…
Hudson Falls educators paraded by car Friday to say hello to the students they’re used to seeing daily. The parade headed off in two directions – some north, some south – at 1 p.m. Families were invited to watch the procession from their homes, as educators make yet another effort to stay as connected as possible in a time of remote learning.
