Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday dropped the idea of extending the coronavirus vaccine suitability list to restaurant workers, saying it was a “cheap, unfair” proposal if the state reserves of the shots were already thin.
The governor determined the idea just days after announcing that restaurants and pubs in the city could resume indoor operations with a capacity of 25 percent from Valentine’s Day.
‘I get the theory [making] Eligible restaurant workers have immuno-compromise [people] eligible, people with diabetes are eligible, [people with] obesity, people with asthma are eligible, ”he said during a press conference in Albany.
‘It’s politically very easy to say,’ I think this one should be eligible, I think this should be eligible, I think everyone should be eligible. ‘The realistic situation is that you do not have enough stock for any of these people. ”
Those currently eligible for the vaccination include health workers, the elderly 65 years and older, school staff, first responders and workers in a grocery store.
Even with the limited group, New York has recently experienced severe vaccine shortages due to federal issues in the supply chain, leading to the postponement of the appointment and the closure of the site.
Cuomo challenged those who asked for the list to be expanded to select a group to be removed from the equation.
“We do not have enough already. Who do you want to remove? Teachers, police, [firefighters], [people who are] 65 plus? Who do you want to remove? He asks.
‘This is a cheap, sincere discussion. Yes, I would like to see restaurant workers eligible. But what does fitness mean when you do not have enough? ‘
Vaccination efforts struck again earlier this week when snow on Monday and Tuesday forced the postponement of appointments at both urban and state-run sites in the five districts.
Appointments on city-run sites are automatically rescheduled, according to the city department, automatically, usually for next week, at the same locations – though not necessarily at the same time and day of the week.
However, those unable to make their automatically assigned slots may request alternative accommodation, including the availability of later this week, the agency said.
Anyone planning appointments at the Javits Center or the Aqueduct Racetrack – the state-run sites in the Big Apple – will receive an email or text message rescheduling their appointment to a comparable time of day, government officials said.
Cuomo’s assistant Melissa DeRosa ‘guaranteed’ on Sunday that someone whose appointment at a state yard had to be rescheduled due to snow could receive a new date this week.
As with the city system, someone who is unable to make a new appointment can receive accommodation for an alternative day and time.