The local coronavirus outbreak continued Nov. 4, with Columbia County officials announcing 23 new cases, and the 43rd death since the pandemic began. That death was of a Ghent nursing home resident, and a Rensselaer County woman also died of COVID-19, it was announced Nov. 4. Across eight local counties, hospitalizations are up 400 percent from one month ago, the Times Union reported. “We’ve seen our hospitalizations fluctuate over the last week, but today we’re back at our peak of 27 residents currently in the hospital, something we hadn’t seen since May before Oct. 30," Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said. "We’re also bracing for any potential spikes we may see from Halloween weekend in the coming days.... The only way we can bring the number of people hospitalized down is by controlling the infection rate, and that rests on individuals making the right decisions. Please continue to wear a mask, socially distance, avoid large gatherings and get tested if you’re concerned about a potential exposure.” There were also 27 new cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County and Greene County officials announced five more new cases on Nov. 4. Nationwide, 103,000 new coronavirus cases were reported, which was a record. Over 52,000 people are hospitalized., and another 1,116 died, it was announced Nov. 4.