COVID update: Jones Beach vaccine mega-site opens as COVID cluster of variants confirmed on Long Island

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) – New York State opens its third mass vaccination site in our area on Thursday morning, the fourth in the entire state, at Jones Beach State Park.

The mega-site, which is also the first place to broadcast the state, opens at 8 p.m.

Also, starting today in New York City vaccines will be available at the Fort Washington Avenue Armory in Washington Heights.

Photos everywhere in New York are available by appointment for the 7 million New Yorkers who are part of groups 1a and 1b, which include people over 65 or older.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo estimates it will take more than 5 months to vaccinate everyone in these groups.

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Both openings arrive as New York sees more cases of the most contagious COVID-19 variant first reported in the UK.

There are now at least 15 confirmed cases statewide, located in two separate groups.

The most recent group was identified Wednesday with two cases each in Suffolk and Nassau counties. A fifth case has also been reported in Queens.

MORE CAVID NEWS: Javits Center opens as a vaccine bus

This cluster has nothing to do with the previous Saratoga Springs case group confirmed last week.

In light of this, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for flight restrictions to prevent more cases of this contagious strain from arriving in the UK and elsewhere.

The Jones Beach mega-site opens Thursday morning with a press conference, but the Nassau County executive was not expected to attend.

Laura Curran quarantines at home after a possible exhibition at COVID-19. According to reports, he is fine.

So far just over 700,000 people have received the vaccine statewide.

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Here are the most recent and upcoming vaccination site openings:

New York State Vaccination Locations:

Wednesday 1/13:
Javits Center
State Fair Expo Center, Onondaga County

Thursday 1/14:
Westchester County Center

Friday 15/01:
Jones Beach, Nassau County – Drive-Thru
SUNY Albany

More state venues will open next week:
SUNY Stony Brook (LI)
Property of SUNY Binghamton in Johnson City
Dome Arena, Rochester

Plattsburgh Airport: by car
SUNY Postdam
Utica Memorial Auditorium
Campus In Buffalo South

Aqueduct Race Track, Queens

SEE THE LIST of who is eligible for a vaccine in New York State

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