Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia County has reported its first COVID-related deaths in more than two months. According to information released by the Columbia County Department of Health, there have been three COVID-related deaths during the past five days, the first since March 3. “All three were elderly individuals,” Columbia County Department of Health director Jack Mabb said. “One was in an assisted living facility.” He said two of the three had been vaccinated. The first two deaths were reported late last week, and the third on May 16. Columbia County has recorded 144 COVID-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, with 21 of those deaths occurring in 2022. The county’s rate of new COVID-19 cases is in the high-risk category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We are in a different place now, even though we’re in the high-risk,” Mabb said. As of Monday, the county reported 91 new positive cases, the highest number reported by the department since January. “We ended up with 91, but that’s still the highest number that we’ve had in quite a while,” Mabb said. He said it is unlikely the county’s COVID numbers will go down in the near future. “Dr. Fauci this morning was on TV imploring people, ‘Please don’t think that we’re done with this.’ And I think that’s exactly right. People aren’t wearing masks, they are not socially distancing, they are going about their business, they’re done with it....," he said. Mabb said there are currently 20 county residents hospitalized because of the virus, one in the intensive care unit. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.