While the cases of COVID-19 in New York they run at high speed on a wide freeway, the vaccination plan remains stuck on a slow path that this Wednesday began to clear up when the State Health authorities they gave the green light because workers caring for the sick and elderly at home, in addition to officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and correctional facilities, are incorporated immediately in the immunization program.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, said he also promotes that the New Yorkers over 75 years of age and all essential workers, including teachers, are added to it first phase of vaccination, Reserved in the protocols by high-risk hospital system personnel and boarding schools for the elderly.
“We need the freedom to vaccinate because with that flexibility, we can reach a lot more people“, Said the mayor who insists on the goal of one million immunizations before January 31.
The mayor confirmed that he had received permission to join the first stage of a category of high-priority people, such as home care workers and cash of the Uniformed answering calls from emergency at 911.
It is calculated according to the latest records in New York City 202,000 home caregivers, Of which more than 70% are Hispanic and African American minorities.
“This is a big step. I want to go even further with people who do crucial work for our families. Please get vaccinated immediately“, Pointed out De Blasio.
From this same week, around 25,000 NYPD staff members they are eligible to be inoculated with the new drug. The City estimates that approximately 10,000 officers be already immunized by next Sunday.
! We vaccinate older adults!
According to data from the City Department of Health (DOHMH) over the past 30 days, alarming trends are showing with cases and hospitalizations in adults over 75 years of age. 58% of deaths in this time period belong to this age group showing a 12% infection positivity rate.
“That’s why we’re convinced that New Yorkers 75 and older should be eligible for the vaccine as soon as possible. Several states have already given priority to this issue. As a City, we’re increasing our points of access to doses, doing everything possible to expand our response if we are auotirzados, “said Dr. Dave Chokshi commissioner of the DOHMH.
Elected leaders condemn slowness of plan
Precisely in the face of the controversy generated by the “slowness” of the vaccination scheme, elected leaders of New York City this Wednesday they stood before the State and City Health authorities because hurry up and change the roadmap as for the groups that should start immunizing as soon as this week.
“Home care workers for the elderly, supermarket employees, the ‘Deliveries’, the city’s transport system workforce, New Yorkers over the age of 75 and residents of neighborhoods with the most penalized zip codes for the pandemic, who happen to be the poorest, should also be placed first on the list, “demanded Eric Adams, Brooklyn County President in a demonstration at the head of a NYC Health + Hospitals testing center in Inwood.
The petition, which was signed by the presidents of all New York City counties, a group of assemblymen and councilors, and the Ombudsman, emphasizes that the vaccination process is hampered for a bureaucratic struggle between the Government and the Mayor’s Office while the communities “continue to suffer economically and emotionally from the punishment of the virus”.
Elected leaders condemned what the Big Apple has been receiving for three weeks 340,000 doses of the new drug and to date have barely injected a 110,000 New Yorkers.
“The rate of positivity and scale at 9% and deaths continue to rise, while we have a slow and inaccurate vaccination program. We need from the Health authorities a clearer guide to action and to immediately incorporate other groups of New Yorkers also on display at COVID-19, “said Gale Brewer, president of the Manhattan County.
Look at poor neighborhoods
Similarly, Councilor Ydanis Rodríguez described as an important step forward that home workers who provide services to the elderly and the sick may soon be part of this immunization process, but he considers that it is necessary “Make other jumps” in favor of the neighborhoods most punished by the pandemic.
“We need to focus on the postal areas corresponding to the poorest localities where most are Latinos, African Americans and Asians, just as it was possible to expand the test plan that did not exist by far last spring, “said the Dominican politician.
Meanwhile, the quisqueià Eleazar Well, President of the community board 12 of Upper Manhattan, advocates for Health authorities to use zip code data ranging from 10032 to 10040, belonging to Washington Heights – Inwood, where the highest number of victims and infections is recorded to establish immediate immunization priorities.
“Here the virus continues to wreak havoc. We must be in the priority if we really want to curb the pandemic and thus recover the economy, “the community leader argued.
Steps to NYC:
- 25 access points, Covering community clinics, emergency care sites and Health + Hospitals points and more emerging DOHMH clinics were incorporated this week into the immunization strategy in New York.
- 100,000 inoculations is the goal the City has set for itself this week.
How much does it cost you to vaccinate?
For more detailed information on the phases, appointments and doubts on the New York City Vaccination Plan see: nyc.gov/covid19/vaccine