‘Massive undertaking’ – Gov. Cuomo says first doses of COVID-19 vaccine could arrive this weekend

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during his briefing Wednesday that 170,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine could arrive in New York as soon as this weekend, pending its approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

News 12 Staff

Dec 10, 2020, 3:24 AM

Updated 1,400 days ago

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during his briefing Wednesday that 170,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine could arrive in New York as soon as this weekend, pending its approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
According to the governor, the priority will be nursing home residents and staff, followed by high-risk hospital workers.
He also said that CVS and Walgreens pharmacies will distribute the doses to nursing homes. It will then be up to the hospitals to decide which specific employees will receive it, he said, adding that emergency room workers, ICU workers and pulmonary department workers should be at the top of the list.
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"By the end of week 2, if all goes well and the federal government sticks to the schedule, we expect all high-risk staff will have received the vaccine," said Gov. Cuomo.
In phase two, it will be made available to long-term congregate care workers staff and residents, EMS and other health care workers – followed by essential workers and then the general population starting with those at high risk.
Dr. John Zaso, of Northwell Health, says once we reach phase two, immunization pods will be set up across Long Island.
“In March, April – as we begin to get the general population of adults ready…the other vaccines that don't need to be frozen will be distributed to doctor’s offices," said Dr. Zaso.
The governor also announced on Twitter that the federal government removed “requirements on vaccine reporting data that could have been used to identify immigration status.”
He called it a “big win” for undocumented New Yorkers.