A steady drop in new Long Island COVID-19 cases, an FDA-approved single-shot dose, and more pop-up vaccine centers — like one in Lawrence Sunday for Holocaust survivors — are fueling hopes for long-term success against the pandemic.
“The footrace between the infection, hospitalization and vaccination rates is at full speed and with the promise of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine coming online, there is no doubt we are getting closer to reaching the light at the end of the tunnel,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement. “While this is all positive news, now is not the time to get complacent. I encourage everyone to stay smart, stay tough and continue the practices we know are effective against this virus.”
There were 7,580 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Saturday out of 273,720 test results recorded by the state, for a daily positivity rate of 2.77%. That’s the lowest one-day average since Nov. 21, according to statistics released by the state Sunday.
Nassau County accounted for 638 of the new cases and another 611 were in Suffolk County.
In Lawrence, about 150 Jewish residents, including 60 Holocaust survivors, received the Pfizer COVID-19 shot Sunday at a pop-up vaccination center at Marion and Aaron Guaral JCC’s Harrison-Kerr Family Center.
The event was organized by UJA-Federation of New York, Northwell Health and the Gural JCC.
The federation has helped vaccinate about 2,000 people at pop-up vaccination sites in Long Island, New York City and Westchester in recent weeks, said CEO Eric Goldstein.
It was important for Holocaust survivors and other elderly residents to get vaccinated Sunday, Goldstein said, because they will get the second shot before Passover. He said many senior citizens have struggled with isolation and depression during the pandemic because they have not been able to socialize with family and friends.
There are about 1,500 Holocaust survivors on Long Island and about 35,000 in the metropolitan area.
Two survivors, Jack Rybstein, 96, and his wife Bonnie, 97, were among those who received the vaccine Sunday.
“God wanted us to be around so he saved us,” said Jack Rybstein, who is originally from Poland.
“I went through the worst a person could endure,” he said of his life decades ago. “I can’t believe I went through so much pain.”
Holocaust survivor Abraham Rodstein, 92, of Amityville, also received the vaccine Sunday.
“Of course I’m glad I got the shot today,” he said. “Once you take both doses, even if you get sick, you won’t die.”
While the number of new COVID-19 cases has dropped dramatically since the post-holiday surge that saw double-digit daily positivity rates on Long Island, health experts and public officials have said people need to continue wearing masks, practice social distancing and other precautions to prevent infections from ticking up again.
The state logged 90 new deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday including seven in Nassau and nine in Suffolk.
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
