Albany County officials informed the public Thursday morning on two new cases of the Coronavirus in the Capital Region.
A Guilderland woman in her 30's and a man who is a UAlbany student that lives off-campus in his early 20's have been confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus. Health officials are working to track where they've been and who they've had contact with. Mayor Sheehan has suspended all permits for mass-gathering events, which means that Albany's St. Patrick's Day Parade has been cancelled.
Last weekend, two people in Saratoga County quarantined themselves after it was confirmed that they had coronavirus. On Thursday, a third Saratoga County case was confirmed. Here's more information on that case:
The Saratoga County Department of Public Health is working diligently to contain and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in the county. Currently, the county is not experiencing community spread of the virus.
There is a third confirmed case of COVID-19. The individual is an adult resident of Clifton Park. The County Department of Public Health is continuing to investigate the circumstances of this case, including the point of origin and the individuals with whom the individual has come in contact.
The two individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 on March 7th, did visit the VENT Fitness in Clifton Park on March 5th for a 6:00 p.m. class. Everyone who was in close proximity to these individuals has been notified and given appropriate guidance that may have included quarantine if necessary. The Department of Public Health gave VENT Fitness guidance on how to perform a proper cleaning and provide information to the gym’s membership.
The state Department of Health has issued further guidance related to the pharmacist who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has asked the county to place individuals who worked in close proximity to him at the CVS located at 653 US Route 9 Gansevoort, NY 12831 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on February 28, 2020. Individuals considered to be in close proximity are immediate coworkers and individuals who received counseling or immunizations from the pharmacist. Patrons to the CVS store and those who received prescriptions on February 28, 2020 are considered to have a low risk of exposure. The County Department of Public Health is in communication with CVS to identify all of the individuals who were in close proximity to the pharmacist.
In Schenectady, Union College is saying that a staff member has tested positive for Coronavirus. According to the college, the staff member lives off campus and will remain isolated from the campus population until they have been cleared by public health officials. Classes at Union have been suspended both through the end of the week.
The coronavirus outbreak has led to a European travel ban. Starting Friday, people in 26 European nations will be prevented from entering the U.S. for the next 30 days. The U.K. is one of the exceptions. President Trump says the new rules are needed as the coronavirus sweeps the globe. Trump also plans to announce emergency action for workers who get sick or need to be quarantined.
Listen to WGY for the latest updates on the coronavirus.
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