With four more deaths announced Dec. 23, the Capital Region's known death toll from the coronavirus is 500. "My condolences and prayers go to the family, to all the family members," Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said about the man and woman who died in his county. "Please take a moment, take a step back and appreciate everything you have in your life and cherish the people around you because at the end of the day, hopefully they’re around for a long time, but the reality is if something happens to them, enjoy the moments you have." There were 218 new cases of the virus announced Dec. 23 in Albany County. The Rensselaer County Health Department reported 128 new cases on Dec. 23. Ulster County reported its worst single-day COVID-19 positivity rate in the second wave of this virus' pandemic with 9.2 percent and 110 individuals testing positive. Greene County reported 30 new COVID-19 cases on Dec. 23. Columbia County reported 22 new cases on Dec. 22.