After days of pressure from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and others, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday he is expanding the vaccine distribution network from just hospitals to a larger network that will allow an expansion of who can get the vaccine.
The distribution network will be expanded to non-hospital providers, like CityMD, which will in turn expand the pool of eligible recipients.
Reservations will start Monday for both phases 1a and 1b, but health care workers in 1a must remain a priority, Cuomo said.
The expansion will cover police, correction officers, some essential workers, and people who are 75 years and older.
Earlier Friday, de Blasio renewed his call for the expansion, saying the city has 270,000 unused doses that could go to people over 75 — of which the city is home to 560,000.
NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced on Twitter that the vaccine will soon be available to individuals over the ages of 75, those who work in education, first responders, public transit workers and public safety workers.
UPDATE: Starting Monday 1/11, vaccines will be available to New Yorkers included in Phase 1b:
✅ ages 75+
✅ those who work in education
✅ first responders
✅ public transit workers
✅ public safety workersInfo on how to schedule an appointment to come.
— NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo) January 8, 2021
