In New York City, and at Albany Med upstate, the first coronavirus vaccines were given to front-line healthcare workers on Dec. 14. Meanwhile, it will be months before residents of the Hudson Valley and Capital Region get inoculated, and the number of COVID-19 cases locally continues to rise. “All the numbers across the world are going up; all the numbers across the nation are going up — welcome to the holiday season," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his Dec. 14 online press conference. “If we don’t change the trajectory we’re going to go to shut down, and then your business is going to close.” While businesses may be closing soon due to coronavirus, the Greene County Emergency Operations Center was activated Dec. 14 in response to the predictions from the New York State Department of Health that the number of positive COVID-19 cases will continue to rise. Greene County also reported five new COVID-19 cases Dec. 14, with a new, much more clear, information chart. Columbia County reported 19 new coronavirus cases. And the Columbia County Department of Health announced a COVID-19 exposure from a staff member at Planet Fitness in Greenport. Anyone who went to the gym on December 5, 6, or 7 should monitor for symptoms. There were also 88 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed by the Rensselaer County Health Department Dec. 14. Albany County reported 154 new COVID-19 cases, and one new death, on Dec. 14.