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Cuomo Says Portion Of COVID Vaccines Delayed By Winter Storm Will Be Distributed By Sunday
By
Sophia Chang
Published Feb 20, 2021
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Katherine Fung / Gothamist
By
Sophia Chang
Published Feb 20, 2021
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The winter storms that disrupted life across much of the country this week also delayed COVID-19 vaccine supplies from the federal government, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.
The state has administered 90% of the first doses that were delivered this week, he said. The state said 60% of its weekly allocation was delayed by the winter storms and would be distributed by Sunday.
"From the very beginning of the vaccination process, there has been one guiding principle to our efforts - get as many shots in arms as quickly, fairly and equitably as possible, and that is exactly what we have continued to do," Cuomo said in a statement Saturday. "Through our expansive network of vaccination sites and community-based 'pop up' sites, the resources are in place to vaccinate up to 100,000 New Yorkers every day, but as has been the case, the only thing standing in our way of making that a reality is the supply. With the weather clearing up, we are working closely with the federal government, local governments, and health care providers to administer shots as quickly as we can."
More than 1 million people have received the first and second doses in New York since the rollout began. According to the Governor's office, 2,173,322 people have received the first dose.
The federal government has promised to increase vaccine supply by more than 20% to New York over the next three weeks, according to Cuomo. As of Saturday afternoon, the city was reporting fewer than 1,000 first doses were remaining, and fewer than 110,834 second doses.
With last week’s opening of eligibility to New Yorkers with medical conditions to now receive the vaccine, next week the state will allow local health departments to administer vaccines to the newly eligible group. New Yorkers can show proof of medical comorbidities with their doctor's letter, medical information proving comorbidity, or a signed certification.
The governor also announced that the statewide positivity rate has dropped to 3.06%, part of a 43-day declining streak, and that hospitalizations dipped below 6,000 for the first time since mid-December. The state’s seven-day average of positivity was 3.53%.
"Our ability to beat back COVID is entirely dependent on our actions, and the post-holiday reduction in positivity and hospitalizations demonstrates that New Yorkers are continuing to do the right things to stay safe. As these numbers go down, vaccinations are going up, and that means we're making real progress toward the light at the end of the tunnel," Cuomo said Saturday.
There were 5,977 patients hospitalized as of Friday, a 178-person decrease over Thursday. There were 1,162 patients in intensive care, a decline of 37 people. Of those patients in ICU, 801 were intubated, a decline of 33 patients from Thursday. There were 97 deaths, including seven people in the Bronx, 17 in Brooklyn, 7 in Manhattan, 16 in Queens and 2 people on Staten Island.
The state also reported 54 new cases of the more contagious variant first identified in the United Kingdom, bringing the total number of these cases to 136.
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Sophia Chang
Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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