Criticism has been growing for the last two weeks about the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Finally on Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that next week the state would allow a larger range of individuals to get vaccinated.
“Caution, caution, caution, because the supply is a major problem,” Cuomo said at his Friday briefing. “You’ll wind up having 3,000 distribution points in a couple of weeks, but none of them will have nearly enough vaccine.”
Anyone aged 75 or older will be eligible to get the vaccination in that round. Teachers, first responders, and public safety workers are also eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in this round.
Gov. Cuomo had been locked in a debate with local and regional representatives over the distribution model – insisting that the state should focus on all front-line healthcare workers. It’s worth noting that widening the scope of available vaccine doses to the next available group does not mean that those on the frontlines will go without.
For the time being only a limited amount will be available for the general public.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].