Mayor urges state to start giving COVID-19 vaccine to group 1b
The mayor says the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including seniors over 75 and other front-line workers, can't get the first dose because of state regulations.
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Jan 8, 2021, 6:20 PM
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Updated 1,295 days ago
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331ds agoMayor Bill de Blasio urged the state to give the city the freedom to vaccinate during a press conference this morning.
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Vaccinations have been underway in the state for some certain groups for a month. However, the mayor says the most vulnerable New Yorkers, including seniors over 75 and other front-line workers, can't get the first dose because of state regulations.
He says that while many health care workers in the currently authorized group 1a are declining to get vaccinated, 270,000 doses are sitting unused in the city that could be going to group 1b
Group 1b includes FDNY and NYPD members as well as the 560,000 New York residents who are over 75, and who the mayor says will want the vaccine more than any group. He stressed that he still hopes those in the first group will continue to get the shot.
"This is really dangerous, if we can't vaccinate the people who are in the most danger, we're going to lose lives we did not need to lose. Let's change that now," de Blasio says.
This comes as the city's positivity rate continues to climb, now at 9.38%.
The mayor says vaccination sites for members of the 1b group will be ready to open as soon as Monday in all five boroughs in hopes that the state will lift its regulations by then.
