This story was reported by Robert Brodsky, Lisa L. Colangelo and Joie Tyrrell.
The state’s vaccination sites at Jones Beach, Stony Brook and other locations will reopen on Wednesday, Cuomo said during an interview with 1010 WINS on Tuesday morning.
Anyone who made an appointment at one of the state sites will be contacted to set up new appointments, he said.
“I don’t want anyone to think after everything they went through, the torture to get an appointment, that it’s not going to be honored,” Cuomo said. “It will be honored, and that’s a state order, whether it’s a city site, or a private site, or whoever’s running it.”
The state had said Monday its appointments would be rescheduled via emails or text messages. Cuomo said he wasn’t sure how other vaccination sites shuttered due to the storm will contact people to reschedule.
State-run, New York City and county vaccination sites had been shut Monday and through Tuesday as government efforts focused on storm response and officials voiced concerns about treacherous conditions for anyone venturing outside.
Most New York City vaccination sites will remain closed Tuesday, with the exception of health and hospital sites, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at his daily news conference. Appointments will be rescheduled.
In total, the city has vaccinated 823,670 people, including about 4,000 during Monday’s storm, but could dramatically pick up the pace if it receives more doses from the federal government.
“We can be doing a half million vaccinations per week if we have the supply,” de Blasio said.
The mayor Tuesday also advocated for restaurant workers to be added to the state’s 1B vaccination eligibility list as the city prepares to open establishments for indoor dining beginning on Feb. 14.
“The restaurant workers are going to be in enclosed places with people eating and drinking,” he said. “We have to protect the people working in our restaurants.”
Cuomo said later Monday he has a meeting with other members of the National Governor’s Association and the White House to discuss vaccine distribution.
Nassau County officials said any appointments scheduled for Tuesday at its vaccination centers — Nassau Community College in Garden City and the Yes We Can Community Center in Westbury — are being rescheduled for later this week
People who were slated to have their second vaccine doses at Nassau Community College on Tuesday are rescheduled for Friday at their same appointment times. Anyone who had a previous appointment for a second dose and has a conflict is asked to email [email protected].
Students helping administer vaccines
More than 60 Suffolk County Community College nursing students have volunteered to assist the state and Suffolk County with administration of the COVID-19 vaccine at two of the college’s campuses.
The call for volunteers was made in response to the SUNY Chancellor’s plea for help to speed up the distribution of the vaccine. The 65 nursing students have volunteered on a rotating bases at the college’s Michael J. Grant campus in Brentwood and Eastern Campus in Riverhead.
“Within hours of the call to assist in speeding up the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, more than 60 nursing students pledged to help,” said School of Nursing Associate Dean Cheryl Schaffer.
The nursing students also have been helping the college administer pool tests to students, faculty and staff who attend classes or are working at either of the college’s three campuses in Brentwood, Riverhead and Selden.
GETTING COVID-19 VACCINES
Who qualifies for COVID-19 shots?
New York State expanded the list of qualifying residents to encompass people 65 years of age and older as well as others deemed to be immunocompromised. The state had recently expanded its vaccination program to include essential workers and people 75 years of age and older in addition to health care workers and nursing home residents and staff, among others. The supply of vaccines is limited even as more groups are added. Hospitals will continue to prioritize unvaccinated members of the first phase, focusing largely on health care workers. The following are the qualifying categories, as revised on Jan. 12.
Group in Phase 1A
The state said about 2.1 million state residents belong in this group, including:
- Health care workers at hospitals who interact with patients.
- Residents and staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
- Dentists, psychologists and others deemed health care workers with direct contact with patients.
- Employees of Federally Qualified Health Centers.
- EMT volunteers and staff.
- Coroners, medical examiners, some funeral workers.
- Staff and residents of state facilities for people with developmental disabilities, mental health care and addiction services.
- Employees at urgent care centers.
- Individuals administering COVID-19 vaccines, including local health department staff.
- Staff at ambulatory centers.
- Home care and hospice workers.
- Residents and staff at other congregate care facilities.
Group in Phase 1B
The state estimated about 3.2 million residents belong in this group, including:
- People 75 years of age and older.
- Teachers and education workers, including in-person college instructors, substitute teachers, student teachers, school administrators, paraprofessional staff, support staff, contractors in schools and bus drivers.
- First responders, including police; firefighters; state police; sheriff’s offices; county, town and village police departments, and other law enforcement offices.
- Public safety workers, including dispatchers and technicians.
- Public transit workers, including airport, railroad, subway, bus, ferry and Port Authority employees.
- Corrections officers.
- Other sworn and civilian personnel, such as court and peace officers.
- Grocery store workers dealing with the public.
- Individuals living in homeless shelters.
Following federal recommendations:
SOURCE: New York State, Northwell Health.
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