On Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced those aged 50 or older are now eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine and pharmacies can vaccinate those with underlying conditions.
The announcement came less than a week after public-facing public employees, including government employees, not-for-profit workers and essential public-facing building service workers, were made eligible for a vaccine.
Also on Monday, Cuomo announced the new "roll up your sleeve" campaign to encourage houses of worship of all faiths to sign up as vaccination sites.
Cuomo said faith leaders were the most trusted voices in their respective communities, and with their help, the state could reach New Yorkers who had suffered the most and were hardest hit by the pandemic.
"Through this collaborative initiative, we will make sure that no neighborhood gets left behind in the vaccination phase of this ongoing fight," he said. "We have a duty to make sure the vaccine distribution is fair and equitable so that our communities that suffered the most in the peak of the pandemic do not get hit with yet another injustice."
As of Monday night, more than 1.65 million doses had been administered at state and FEMA run mass vaccination sites in New York, including the Medgar Evers College site. More than 498,947 people in Brooklyn have received at least one vaccine at a state-run site. To make an appointment at a state-run site, click here.
As of Tuesday, New York City had administered 3,411,492 doses at City-run sites. To make an appointment at a City-run site, click here.
The City is now now providing in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible homebound NYC residents. You can fill out an interest form here, which will enable the City to contact you to further discuss your eligibility.
As the pace of vaccinations continues to increase, the state has relaxed gathering restrictions and as of this week, 100 people can gather indoors in public spaces and 200 people outdoors. Outdoor gatherings at private spaces have been increased to 25 people, while indoor gatherings in private spaces remain at a 10 person limit.
Indoor fitness classes can resume statewide at 33% capacity, with cleaning and contact tracing protocols and local health department inspections required.
People who incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses after Jan. 20, 2020, can now apply for the FEMA Funeral Reimbursement Program, which will provide financial assistance. Learn more about eligibility and applying here.
To make a vaccine appointment at any hour, New Yorkers can call 877-VAX-4NYC. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the expanded hotline hours last Wednesday, following a number of complaints about the city and state online appointment systems.
The city has pledged to hire more customer service representatives for the hotline, which is currently manned by 750 agents.
