COVID-19

The Alliance for Positive Health maintains our unwavering commitment to the local community and the clients we serve throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Please continue to visit this page for the most updates and information as we continue to navigate this crisis.

Updates:

January 25, 2021: A stay was issued on Tuesday that will place a temporary hold on the ruling which struck down the New York State mask mandate. Read the article from the Albany Times Union here.

October 4, 2021: New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has launched two new webpages to provide expanded COVID-19 data. The first focuses on COVID-19 variants, providing public information on how we track variants, why we track variants and updated data. The second webpage includes the COVID-19 Breakthrough Data Report, which displays COVID-19 breakthrough cases, hospitalizations and in-depth data over time.

April 13, 2021:  Community Life Church in Catskill has vaccination appointments available for tomorrow, 4/14/21 and Thursday, 4/15/21. If you live in Greene County and need a vaccination, call 518.828.9600 to make an appointment.

February 10, 2021:  New York State will offer free diapers at food banks amid ongoing COVID-19 recession. Click here for more information.

December 28, 2020: Due to the increase in coronavirus cases throughout Northeastern New York, all Alliance for Positive Health offices will be closed through January 15th. Staff will be working remotely and providing services to clients via phone or Zoom. If you need to reach a staff member, you may leave a voicemail on their office phone or call/text their agency cell phone. Messages will be checked throughout each day, Monday through Friday. Should you have any questions or concerns, please call 518.434.4686. Please stay healthy!

STI Testing:  Albany Medical Center is now offering STI testing 5 days a week by appointment only. Call 518.262.840 to schedule an appointment. Valid health insurance is required.

HIV Testing: The Albany Medical Center Department of Medicine is offering FREE drive-up and walk-in HIV testing throughout the pandemic. For testing times and locations, click here.

Food4Life: The Alliance for Positive Health's Food4Life program offers an instructional video on creating nutritious Overnight Oats. Additional videos will be posted regularly to the Alliance's YouTube page.

Executive Order for Face Masks: New York State to require people to wear masks in public

Face Masks Needed: The Alliance is continuing to serve thousands of clients across Northeastern NY who are vulnerable to COVID-19. Unfortunately, these individuals do not have the resources to create masks to better protect themselves from the virus. If you can sew or are able to donate masks in any way, please call 518.434.4686. Read the CDC's guide on creating a mask.

Health Education Groups: Sexual Health Education (SHE) groups will be restarting in a videoconferencing format. These sessions are for women living with HIV. To enroll, call 518.434.4686.

Dining Out For Life®: The annual event has transitioned to an online format on Thursday, April 30^th. We are encouraging the community to join us in supporting local restaurants through takeout, delivery and gift cards. Visit the Dining Out For Life® event page for more information.

Drug User Health Hub: The Health Hub at our Plattsburgh location will continue to keep client appointments via Telemedicine. Clients will be able to receive prescriptions throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Syringe Exchange Program: Throughout the pandemic, the Harm Reduction team will be delivering syringes, Narcan, and harm reduction supplies to designated locations. Please call 518.563.2437 (Plattsburgh area) or 518.743.0703 (Glens Falls Area) for more information or to schedule a delivery.

Food4Life: Alliance for Positive Health staff remain committed to ensuring clients have food during this difficult time. Team members continue to stock and back food, scheduling pick ups and coordinating orders with clients. For more information, call 518.434.4686.

Health Education Groups: HIV Health Education, Sex-Men, and Sexual Health Education (SHE) group sessions have been postponed until further notice.

Testing: All walk-in and community testing has been cancelled until further notice.

Staff: Most of the Alliance for Positive Health staff are working remotely from home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing services to clients via phone and email. Staff may be reached by leaving a voicemail on their office phone or by calling or texting their agency cell phone. Voicemails will be checked regularly throughout each day.

Resources:

CDC: COVID-19 Information

New York State Department of Health: Information on Novel Coronavirus

AIDS Info: Interim Guidance for COVID-19 and Persons with HIV

POZ: What People with HIV Need to Know About the New Coronavirus

New York Times: Which Mask Should You Wear?

Mask Up: How to Safely Wear and Store Your Mask

Beware of Scams: The Top COVID-19 Scams

Testing:  Albany County Testing Sites for COVID-19

Captain Community Human Services:  Saratoga County Community Resources

Times Union: Five Things to Know About New York's Temporary Eviction Ban

Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook

Capital Region Health Connections: COVID-19 Emergency Resource Guide

New York State Project Hope: Coping With COVID Guide

New York State Vaccine Information: Schedule A Vaccine

Due to the situation surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Here is what the Alliance for Positive Health is doing to address this pandemic. The well-being and safety of the Alliance clients and staff is our top priority.

• Staff will be assisting with program services to respond to our clients. Our mission to reduce the impact and incidence of HIV/AIDS and other serious medical and social conditions has never been more important.

• Most of our staff are conducting work remotely, have set up systems to remain in contact with clients, and will continue to respond to inquiries and questions related to our services.

• The Alliance for Positive Health has been serving our community for over 37 years. We want to make sure the people we serve are getting the services they need during this difficult period.

• Given the uncertainty of the pandemic, we will continue to actively monitor the situation, adjust accordingly, and update you on all changes in our operations. We encourage you to visit our website at allianceforpositivehealth.org for regular updates.