On Oct. 7, 2018, Albany physicians reported approximately 6,000 cases of influenza. The next day, as dozens of new cases were reported, Albany Commissioner of Public Safety James Sheldon Frost, upon City Health Officer Dr. Arthur Sautter’s recommendation, ordered all schools, churches, theaters, movie houses, and libraries closed, and indoor public gatherings suspended, effective at 8:00 am on October 9.

The City Council made it a misdemeanor to cough or sneeze in public without covering the mouth, with a whopping $500 fine and the possibility of a year in prison for offenders. Residents were warned not to spit in public or risk arrest and a $10 fine.