Albany County faces rise in cases after July 4 parties
ALBANY COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy said Wednesday that positive coronavirus cases “skyrocketed” overnight.
McCoy confirmed in his presser that 44 new cases of the coronavirus came overnight. He said six of those positive cases came from a July 4 party in Albany that had over 200 people in attendance.
County officials said the July 4 parties, included a large gathering in the city’s student housing neighborhood.
“The party that was referenced that we currently have six cases tied to was not at a single home but in a large area in backyards on Hudson Avenue. If you were at that party in the backyards, please consider being tested,” said Albany County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen.
Camryn Brown, a student at University of Albany, was one of the partygoers. She decided to get tested after hearing the recent spike of cases. Brown said she is waiting on her test results.
“I just want to be responsible and not give it to other people. I know I will be fine, but older people might not be,” said Brown.
Brown said, when she was at the party, there were only 50 people in attendance.
“Some people were in masks, but we just didn’t really social distance. We definitely should of had followed the guidelines. We all just had the mentality that the virus wasn’t here and it wasn’t going to touch us,” said Brown.
Jay Staton lives in the neighborhood. She was shocked to hear hundreds of people were partying and not social distancing.
“I am completely appalled right now, and we are still in a huge pandemic. I would expect for children under the age of 30 that are in college to be very respectful of others,” said Staton.
Staton said she believes the partygoers need to learn a lesson.
“I’m hoping their mothers and fathers out there know their children attended these parties. I hope they will discipline their children and teach them to be safe,” said Staton.
“We definitely all kind of learned our lesson. I talked to some people and we agreed that we shouldn’t of done that. We didn’t think it would be a risk to us. We thought we were untouchable and that is definitely not the case,” said Brown.
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