Press Release from Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Murell
NO CURRENT TREATMENT FOR COVID-19, MABB SAYS
There is currently no authorized treatment for those who test positive for COVID-19, Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said Thursday.
“I strongly discourage anyone from taking things they hear mentioned as possible cures,” Mabb said. “Do not try to self-medicate. Some medications may have similar ingredients to those being mentioned in connection with a possible COVID-19 treatment, but they have not undergone testing for this disease and should not be considered safe.”
Mabb said there was one positive test for COVID-19 in the county on Wednesday, bringing the official count to 19 in-county.
At this time, Columbia Memorial Hospital has some tests on-hand, but they are being reserved for medical providers, emergency responders, and the very ill, Mabb added.
“The Health Department does expect a big bump in positives this weekend,” he added.
County emergency medical services, Columbia Memorial Hospital, and fire and police remain “not even close to what they need in terms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE),” said county Director of Emergency Management David W. Harrison, Jr. “We are expecting a small delivery soon – that will be going to emergency medical services and the hospital.”
Several incidents of price gouging have been received in the City of Hudson, said Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett. Those who encounter a price gouging situation are advised to visit the website of the New York State Attorney General and fill out the complaint form found there.
“There has been a slight increase in petty larcenies in stores, but there hasn’t been a big surge,” Bartlett said, adding that sheriff’s deputies are patrolling through the parking lots and inside the major supermarkets in an effort to help alleviate concerns. “if you have a question and spot a deputy, feel free to ask the deputy. If they don’t have the answer, they’ll get it for you.”
“We are all one community, and we’re doing what we can to take care of the Columbia County family,” said Bartlett.
With questions continuing to arise as to what constitutes an essential service, that information can be located at https://esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026 on the state Economic Development Corporation website, said Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell.
All Columbia County buildings remain closed, with the exception of the Department of Social Services, which must stay open under state regulations. It is operating with twenty-five percent of staff onsite.
Murell has noted that the county will issue a daily press release on the coronavirus situation every afternoon at 4. 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 Operations Center.