With the growing number of COVID-19 cases and cold weather, one might be forgiven for thinking this was March or April, not December. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo's daily news conferences will look different from the spring starting Dec. 9, with reporters removed from the room, only asking questions remotely from now until conditions improve. Locally, the numbers announced Dec. 8 are grim: 19 new coronavirus cases in Greene County and 18 new cases in both Columbia County and Delaware County. Ulster County announced two more deaths due to COVID-19 Dec. 8, "Essentially, each day over the last week to 10 days we've been setting new records for our total active cases and we're seeing in our other metrics as well more and more cause for concern," said Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan. Dutchess County reported 93 new confirmed cases on Dec. 8, and Rensselaer County announced a new single-day, record-high of confirmed coronavirus cases with 79. Rensselaer County also announced the death of an 85-year-old woman who was a resident at Eddy Heritage House in Troy. Albany County also reported a new single-day record-high, with 205 COVID-19 cases. Saugerties schools reported an on-site teacher and a remote-learning student at the Morse School plus a remote high school student caught COVID-19, and also three students and a staff member at Riccardi Elementary School. And Bard College reported three members of an off-campus household have tested positive for COVID.