While hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, one surprising resident has secured the coveted blow: a celebrity fitness trainer and SoulCycle instructor.
“WAKE DAY! Step one of the Modern magic !! One hour drive to STATES ISLAND which is worth every minute! It takes a village, ‘said Stacey Griffith, a 52-year-old fitness guru who has appeared in the series. The New York Times, proudly announced in an Instagram post that has since been removed.
But moments after Griffith revealed to her 64,200 fans that she was one of the approximately 850,000 New Yorkers who received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, she suffered a furious setback.
‘My wife is a stage 4 cancer patient who has to deal with the fear and risk of going weekly during her immunosuppression during a COVID in a cancer center in the hospital to get the treatment that keeps her alive. Gabrielle Novacek, a consultant in Chicago, has at least 2-3 months leave to be eligible for a vaccine.
‘As the caretaker she depends on to provide her support, I’m out for at least 4-5 months. But yes, let’s celebrate that we’re making the world safe for a personal classroom in the midst of a global pandemic. What is left of any respect I had for Soul and the leaders he celebrates is over, ”she added.
According to a recent Vox story, Griffith, who earns $ 800 per class, claims via text message that her role as an ‘educator’ qualifies her for the coveted COVID-19 vaccination.
“If I get vaccinated, it can stop the short spread within groups!” Griffith told The Daily Beast. ‘I function as a common point for many people who overlap. In my profession of health and wellness as a teacher, it is my priority to make my community and their respiratory systems work at full capacity so that they can defeat this virus if infected by it. I can only teach them if I am healthy myself. ”
Griffith added that she ‘had the same opportunity as everyone else has by asking online and filling out a questionnaire’ and insisted that she ‘did no favors, I did not pay anyone money’.
‘All teachers are eligible to apply for the vaccine. My post today was to show my confidence in the system, in our government, and I hope everyone can at least feel more comfortable knowing that I went through the process! she added.
Asked if all SoulCycle instructors would be eligible for the vaccine, she replied, “Absolutely not.”
According to the New York City Health Department, the city has begun phase 1B of the vaccination, which eligible health care workers, residents over 65, grocery stores and specific types of teachers for work. While eligible teachers include those who include K-12, personal college instructors and child care group providers, the teachers are incapable of fitness fitness.
“In general, it’s hard for us to comment on individuals because of confidentiality,” a New York Department of Health spokesman told The Daily Beast when asked about Griffith on Friday. “I’ll see what I can find out if I can say something.”
The fact that Griffith was vaccinated in New York while thousands of teachers, social workers and residents with existing conditions could not make an appointment illustrates the rocky rollout in the Empire State.
Thousands of New York City teachers eligible for the vaccine have reported that their appointments have been canceled amid supply and scheduling problems. Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers, to the New York Post this week, about 20,000 teachers requested appointments from the union – and that another 10,000 went through their healthcare providers. But only a quarter of the 30,000 teachers received the vaccine.
One problem, according to Mulgrew, is that the city has canceled the appointments en masse due to vaccination shortages and scheduling problems. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday revealed that delivery of the Moderna vaccine has been delayed and that he has asked the federal government for the increase in deliveries and the ability to use second doses on first shots. .
“We had to reschedule 23,000 New Yorkers and tell them they would not be able to get the appointment due to a lack of supply,” de Blasio said.
While this slow rollout may mean that many suitable people are stuck on waiting lists, it has not closed the door for young, healthy Americans – many of them have used their connections and substantial financial resources to cut the line and justify it.
The New York mayor’s office and SoulCycle did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.
In turn, Griffith said she removed her post after the vitriol became overwhelming.
“I hate controversy,” she told The Daily Beast, adding: “It saddens me that people are getting so dark and mean, I’m actually just trying to do the right thing and be safe.”