Mariano Rivera joined Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday afternoon on the premises, which is only available to Bronx residents. An appointment is required, and can be made by visiting Somosvaccinations.com or by calling 1-833-SomosNY.
Appointments are still available, the mayor said as he encouraged Bronx residents to sign up. About 300 appointments were booked just Thursday by city workers visiting the Bronx.
While the stadium operates from 8 to 20 hours daily as a vaccination site, the mayor said it will be made 24 hours with more supplies.
Government officials say they have 15,000 appointments ready for next week, but there are concerns they will not be booked fast enough.
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“Something that city and state strongly agree on: we need to take actions that will really support equality,” de Blasio said. “The Bronx has been hit very hard in the COVID crisis. This site – this historic site, this amazing site – is for the people of the Bronx.”
Staff have done their job to convince those who are eligible that the vaccine is safe.
The clinic is run by a well-known name – SOMOS Community Care – with shots fired by doctors working and living in the Bronx.
“The trust is there,” said Dr. Ramon Tallaj, chairman of SOMOS, said. “They believe in us, and that’s why it’s so important that we choose to do it. And we are ready. People need us to give the vaccine to the people in our community.”
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There were no fans in the stands last season, so this is the first time the general public has been allowed into the Yankee Stadium since 2019.
“No worries, no worries,” one resident told Eyewitness News. “I trust science and trust what they’re trying to do with people regarding everyone’s health.”
In addition to the stadium, the state is also opening 35 new pop-up vaccine sites in churches, community centers and public housing in New York.
There are also plans to use Citi Field as a separate site, but currently there are not enough doses.
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