Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia County has recorded more than 5,000 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, health officials said Mon., Sep. 27. The Columbia County Department of Health reported a total of 30 new positive cases over the weekend. “Out of the 14 [cases] on Saturday, six were children, four were school-age children,” Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said. “We’re not necessarily seeing that they’re catching it in school but they are nonetheless potentially bringing it to school.” The Department of Health reported one COVID-related death on Friday afternoon. Mabb said it was an unvaccinated person in their 70s. Another Columbia County resident died Sunday. That individual was in their 60s and was also unvaccinated Mabb said. The two recent deaths bring the total to 102 since the beginning of the pandemic. Five COVID-related deaths occurred in Columbia County this month, making September the deadliest COVID month in the county since last winter. “It’s hard, ...because they’re unvaccinated people,” Mabb said. “It’s like you look at it and think if they had just gotten the shot they could be alive. You know it’s a damn shame.” There are currently six county residents hospitalized because of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70.5 percent of county residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 80.1 percent of those over 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine; 65 percent of the county's total population is fully vaccinated. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.