Cuomo says he won't get vaccine until it's available for Blacks, Hispanics and poor New Yorkers his age
New York reported another 11,368 COVID-19 cases Sunday as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo pledged to hold off getting the vaccine himself until it is available to people his age in Black, Hispanic and low-income communities statewide.
"I am committed to social and racial justice in the distribution of this vaccine," Cuomo, 63, told congregants of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem via a videotaped message. "It will be available as fairly and as quickly as we can make it happen. Race or income will not determine who lives and who dies."
"I move around a lot and come into contact with many people and I would feel much safer if I took the vaccine, but I will not take the vaccine until the vaccine is available for my group in Black, Hispanic, and poor communities around the state," he said.
The total number of cases in New York since the pandemic began has now reached 1,017,153. The latest statistics include 1,166 additional cases in Nassau and 1,516 in Suffolk.
The vaccine is currently available to health care workers likely to come into contact with COVID-19 patients, nursing home residents and staff, as well as other priority groups such as EMTs and EMS workers. It's unclear when the vaccines will be offered to the general public.
In his message, Cuomo said while he understands the "cynicism and skepticism" around the vaccine, it is safe. He said his 89-year-old mother, Matilda, will get the vaccine along with his daughters when it becomes available to them.
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted members of the Black, Latino and low-income communities. The vaccine’s rollout across the United States and New York has been plagued with delays.
"Until the vaccine is available in the South Bronx, and the East Side of Buffalo, and Wyandanch, and South Jamaica, and Edgerton and East Utica — our health care deserts — our job is not done," Cuomo said. "I'll do my part, but you have to do your part. We all need to have faith and trust in the vaccine, and we need to have generosity in our souls, where we act for the good of one another."
The number of New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID-19 increased to 7,963, and 138 people died from complications of the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the latest state statistics.
The latest death toll included 11 in Nassau and 13 in Suffolk.
The daily positivity rate for Long Island on Saturday, based on 142,345 test results statewide, was 9.1%. The daily rate in Suffolk was 10.6%, with Nassau at 7.6%.
Nationally, 299,087 new COVID-19 cases were reported Sunday for a total of more than 20.4 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center. States with the highest number of new cases include California, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and New York, according to the site.
On Monday, hospitals on Long Island are poised to start giving the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines to doctors, nurses and other health care workers who received their initial shots during the rollout in mid-December.
At the same time, the state will expand the group receiving its first dose to doctors, nurses, radiologists, physical therapists and others who work closely with patients in outpatient settings.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine requires two shots be administered about 21 days apart, while the Moderna vaccine requires two shots given about 28 days apart.
State officials said New York had vaccinated about 274,000 people as of Saturday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 13 million doses of vaccine have been distributed across the country and 4.2 million people have received their first dose.
Rising COVID-19 numbers have led to some Long Island school districts announcing that they will go fully remote for a week starting Monday, including Patchogue-Medford, Sayville, South Huntington and Huntington.
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
