Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that the state would run out of its current allocation of coronavirus vaccines by the end of Friday as cases of the UK COVID-19 variant tick up in New York.

A total of 25 cases of the variant have been reported statewide, with two new cases in Westchester and one in Brooklyn announced on Friday.

Cuomo says medical experts anticipate that the strain will take over the current COVID strain in the U,S, by March, which could increase infection rates and hospitalizations. 

Gov. Cuomo blames the previous presidential administration for not stepping in ahead of time. 

“The UK strain has been spreading. It should have never been here if this federal government had done the testing and the quarantine mandate that other countries did, but we are where we are,” said Gov. Cuomo. 

People lined up for hours at the Brooklyn Army Terminal only to be told their vaccine appointment was canceled Friday. 

Gov. Cuomo says he tried to buy directly from Pfizer and Moderna, but under emergency authorization use the private companies are not allowed to do that.

He says he is optimistic that with President Biden’s order to increase production through the Defense Production Act, it will be easier to get vaccines to the public. 

New York state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker says they regularly test for the strains and so far have not identified the South African or Brazilian strains in the state.

Gov.  Cuomo says the network set up to distribute vaccines will be able to get doses to more people once the allocation from the federal government increases.