This the first day that more groups are eligible for the coronavirus vaccine and droves of New York City residents are signing up.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is impressed with more than 50 thousand registered for this week so far and the overnight hours for the first night of the 24-7 sights got booked solid.
“So you can see New Yorkers are going to take advantage of it. This is the city that never sleeps.”
With firefighters, teachers and those 75 and older now eligible, the mayor says the goal this week is to give out 175-thousand vaccine shots.
“Problem in a few weeks is we will run out at the rate we’re going to be going. We need the federal government to step up and state government, manufactures, get us the doses we need.”
Once folks get a shot, they will be given an appointment immediately for a second shot.
Meanwhile Governor Andrew Cuomo is announcing a new effort to try and improve coronavirus testing and vaccination efforts in New York State. Cuomo is launching the New York State public health corp. The state will work with Cornell University and Northwell Hospital system.
“We will hire one-thousand health corps fellows who agree to serve for one year. They will be trained to facilitate a statewide coordinated vaccination operation and do it safely and quickly in every part of the state.”
The public health corps will also establish an emergency response capacity that will better prepare New York State for future public health emergencies.
