Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New York Presbyterian today announced the launch of a new COVID-19 vaccination site for New Yorkers at the Fort Washington Armory in Washington Heights. The site, located at 216 Fort Washington Avenue at the corner of 169th Street, was made possible by the additional partnership of Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center and offers COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals over the age of 65 with scheduled appointments. only starting on January 14th.
New York’s vaccine supply is limited by the federal government. Based on federal guidelines that the state follows more than 7 million New Yorkers, they are now eligible for the COVID vaccine, but the state receives only about 300,000 doses per week from the federal government. As such, the number of available appointments will vary each day, depending on the offer not only on the Fort Washington Armory website, but throughout the state as well.
“The COVID pandemic has highlighted the existing inequalities in our society and our healthcare system – and while we are fighting this virus, we must also fight back against the forces of inequality,” Governor Cuomo said. “New York Presbyterian was one of the most effective hospitals in the early days of our vaccination program, and now we are working with them and our vaccine equity task force to expand their community efforts. With such partnerships, we ensure that New Yorkers of color does not lag behind. ‘
Dr. Steven J. Corwin, President and CEO of New York-Presbyterian, said: “COVID-19 has taken a tragic toll on our communities. Now, after nearly a year at the forefront, we are finally taking the fight for this deadly virus … We are proud to work with Governor Cuomo and the state to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible and restore the health and vitality of the city we all love. ‘
To make an appointment on the Fort Washington Armory website, patients of New York-Presbyterian age 65 and older can use the online patient portal ColumbiaDoctors, Weill Cornell Medicine, and NewYork-Presbyterian Connect. Patients who do not have a Connect account and people over 65 who are not ColumbiaDoctors, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian patients can set up an account by going to VaccineTogetherNY.org.
The Armory is wheelchair accessible and meets ADA accessibility standards. In addition, the premises are staffed by medical staff who speak Spanish and English. New Yorkers over the age of 65 who plan appointments can go to the website via A and C trains. The train stops for the A and C trains are Broadway and 168th Street.
The construction of the Fort Washington Armory vaccination site builds on the extensive network of vaccination sites set up by Governor Cuomo to accelerate the vaccination rate of leading health care workers and begin the vaccination of new New Yorkers. New York has already opened four state-run vaccination rooms at the Jacob K. Javits Center, Westchester County Center, New York State Fair Expo Center and Jones Beach, with additional premises in SUNY Albany opening Friday, January 15 at 8 p.m. There are also 15 additional sites starting in the coming days.
Furthermore, this website promotes the purpose of Governor Cuomo to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. In late 2020, the governor announced the launch of the New York Vaccine Equality Task Force, chaired by Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, Attorney General Letitia James, President and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc Morial, and Health President and CEO Pat Wang. Since its inception, the Task Force has continued to ensure that vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind by breaking down barriers to vaccination and ensuring that the vaccine is distributed fairly.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat said: “It is critical that we ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is available to all New Yorkers, not just those with better access to health care facilities, which is why this large-scale vaccination site is in Washington Heights. a step in the right direction.Thank you to Governor Cuomo and the New York Presbyterian for their efforts to expand vaccine access in our community.This new website will help ensure that vaccine distribution is not just timely, but also fair. “
Secretary of State and Chair of New York’s Vaccine Equity Task Force, Rossana Rosado, said: “Service communities are, and continue to be, the worst hit by the pandemic. “Try to reduce barriers and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine fairly. This vaccination site at NY Presbyterian is part of our local vaccine network that will help provide every New Yorker with equal access to the vaccine.”
Senator Robert Jackson said, “I’m so grateful for the joint efforts of New York – Presbyterian and NYS’s department to expand vaccine clinics to northern Manhattan. Heights: My voters will then have the opportunity to get the vaccine we all need during this pandemic, thanks to their efforts, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor’s office building capacity to meet our needs. to provide community. ”
Member of Parliament Al Taylor said, “COVID-19 has hit Harlem and Washington Heights the hardest in Manhattan and it’s critical that our community has access to the COVID vaccine. This large – scale vaccination site is a good start in ensuring distribution is fair to residents of North Manhattan.I thank Governor Cuomo and New York Presbyterian for taking this step to ensure that the vaccine is distributed in a timely and accessible manner.I will continue to work with my partners in government to ensure that our residents still have access to this much-needed vaccine. ”
Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said: “Northern Manhattan has the highest rate of COVID-19 in the state of Manhattan. I am proud to know that the armor in the heart of Washington Heights will be turned into a vaccination room. I thank Governor Cuomo and the New York Presbyterian for their help in converting the Armory into a vaccination site, and I hope this is the first of many vaccination sites we will see open in North Manhattan. of New York must continue to do their part by wearing their masks and staying socially distant.We will work with other partners to make appointments by telephone and in different languages and to help the underserved communities devastated by COVID-19 “I will continue to work with my colleagues at the city, state, and federal levels to ensure that we keep all New Yorkers safe.”