COVID-19 vaccine seekers flocked from across the city and state to hit Washington Heights hard in search of the shot – including one couple abducted in a limousine.
Fort Washington Armory in Upper Manhattan, which was converted into a vaccination site by a nearby New York Presbyterian Hospital, was one of only a few urban vaccination centers still operating this week, despite a major shortage of shots.
But, as The City reported on Tuesday, many of those who showed up for jabs came from outside the hard-hit neighborhood – and there was a shortage of Spanish-speaking staff at the time to help largely Spanish residents.
Although The Post encountered Spanish-speaking workers on Wednesday, the previous trend continued.
“We are relieved,” said Carol, an elderly woman who traveled with her husband from the Upper East Side to be arrested. ‘We’re been trying for two months to get an appointment. That’s crazy. “
Carol, who did not want to name her surname, and her husband – who did not want to identify at all – were picked up by a black Cadillac limousine after their appointment, while their driver waited with their puppy behind.
“You have to fight for it,” Carol’s husband said laughing when asked if the vaccine was being distributed fairly.
Following the outrage over the news that outsiders will descend, New York Presbyterian announced late Wednesday that the appointments on the premises will now only go to New York residents – and a minimum of 60 percent will be reserved for Washington Heights residents, Inwood, North America. and Central Harlem and the South Bronx. All existing appointments will still be honored.
Earlier in the day, Min Ye drove about three hours from Schoharie County to ensure her mother (78) and father (80) could be vaccinated after hitting an appointment online the previous day.
She explained that her parents had an apartment in Midtown Manhattan, but that they were living temporarily with her country.
“They just lived in the state. They still have their apartment, ”she said. “We feel we are part of this community as well.”
Judy Stevens, 76, defended driving off the Upper West Side for her vaccination, saying Big Apple is one big community.
“It’s New York City, and to me you’re giving it to everyone who needs it. The people here can climb on the computer just like everyone else, ‘says Stevens, whose daughter made an appointment with her at the hospital earlier on Wednesday. “We are all in one place, but let us not divide one another. We’re all in New York City. We are all residents. ”
Erica Smith brought her 88-year-old mother, who has a pacemaker, for a vaccine.
“I told them about my mother’s heart condition and they told me to bring her right,” Smith said, referring to hospital workers.
Smith, who lives with her mother in Washington Heights, said she has no problem with outsiders coming in for the jabs.
‘It’s a health situation, so why do you just want to help people in the country? [your] environment? She asked.
However, the mayor exploded the practice on Wednesday morning during a press conference.
“I’m really worried about what I hear,” de Blasio said. ‘Here you have a site in the middle of an incredibly hard hit neighborhood, a community that is largely immigrant, a Latino community that was one of the places that had the biggest pressure of the COVID crisis.
“I want to see Columbia Presbyterian do everything in their power to reach the surrounding community,” he continued. “That should be the mandate. That should be the focus of that center, period. Many time want the vaccine in the community. ”
Hizzoner further said that the vaccination could not be seen as benefiting people who are more privileged than others.
“The whole idea of a successful vaccination effort should be community-based,” he said. ‘And people in the community need to see that the sites are really for them, and they are not left out of the sites in their own community in any way. It must therefore be rectified immediately. ”
At the national level, de Blasio acknowledged that public and private hospitals could work better to ensure that paperwork and appointments regarding the vaccination process are available in languages other than English and Spanish.
“It’s a huge, extensive effort, but we have to make it as inclusive as possible,” de Blasio said, adding that the city could force private facilities to offer material in other languages commonly spoken in the city. , including Chinese. , French, Creole and Russian.
“It sounds like none of them are sure,” de Blasio said, as his request that the three medical experts weigh in on the line was satisfied with a long silence. ‘If we can not order it, we really have to make very aggressive checks [that it’s implemented]. ”
When Hizzoner asked the doctors for answers on forms in city-run public hospitals, there was another pregnant break.
‘You must give credit where credit is payable. “If The New York Post looked right, they looked right,” said de Blasio. ‘The right forms to sign up for the appointments must be in languages other than just English and Spanish, if we really want to gain access. We will therefore work to rectify this. ”
The lack of translations is not the first time the city’s vaccination effort has been criticized over accessibility issues.
Senior citizens have pawned the city’s intricate online registration system to freeze them, even though they are one of the most vulnerable to the coronavirus.
In a statement, the New York Presbyterian said: “An ongoing engagement initiative is aimed at reaching eligible North Manhattan residents and getting them registered for appointments. This process is undertaken in partnership with more than 40 community-based and faith-based organizations and other partners, and is aimed at providing access, overcoming hesitation and tackling persistent inequalities. ”