Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that the federal government will establish four additional vaccination sites to increase the amount of COVID-19 vaccine available to New Yorkers.
One of those sites will be in Rochester, at the former Kodak Hawkeye parking lot on Ave. E. Others will be in Buffalo, Albany and Yonkers.
Cuomo says the Federal Emergency Management Agency will manage the sites that will vaccinate approximately 1,000 New Yorkers each day beginning in the first week of March. Appointments will be initially reserved for members of the community where the sites are located.
The sites are focused on improving vaccine access in socially vulnerable communities. They will target communities and populations historically underserved by the traditional health care system that were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
"From day one, New York has prioritized equitable vaccination access with aggressive efforts targeted at reaching communities that were hit the hardest by COVID," Cuomo said. "We're putting four new vaccination sites in socially vulnerable communities outside of New York City where we've seen higher positivity rates and lower vaccination rates.”
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren called the announcement "good news and welcome progress," adding that "the data shows that people of color are dying disproportionally from this virus and thus we must make getting them the vaccine a priority."
The mayor said that this week in Rochester, only 200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being dedicated to a single vaccination "pop-up" site dedicated to serving the Black and brown population. Warren said, "simply put, not enough vaccine is being dedicated to this effort. I hope today’s news will change that.”
On Wednesday, Cuomo did announce 13 community-based pop-up vaccination sites coming online this week at community centers, public housing complexes and cultural centers. They include the Trenton and Pamela Jackson R-Center at 485 N. Clinton Ave., and it will be open Sat. Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are scheduled directly with the center and it will work with community organizations and community leaders to identify who will be eligible to obtain a vaccination.
