Beginning on Tuesday, March 30, any New Yorker age 30 or older can begin scheduling an appointment to receive the vaccine. Eligibility will open up even further next week, with anyone 16 and older becoming eligible as of Tuesday, April 6.
The expanded eligibility comes in the wake of similar moves in neighboring New Jersey and Connecticut, and well in advance of President Joe Biden’s pledge to have the country vaccinated before the calendar turns to May.
“Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID. Beginning March 30, all New Yorkers age 30 or older will be able to be vaccinated, and all New Yorkers age 16 or older will be eligible on April 6, well ahead of the May 1 deadline set by the White House," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
Cuomo made note that more than two million total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered at New York State-run and FEMA-assisted mass vaccination sites.
Statewide, more than nine million total doses have been administered across all vaccination sites.
A total of 171,419 doses have been administered across the state's distribution network in the past 24 hours, Cuomo said, and more than 1.3 million doses have been administered over the past week.
More than 30 percent of New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Department of Health.
Delivery of the week 16 allocation of COVID-19 vaccine doses begins in the middle of the week.
"As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind,” Cuomo added.
“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but until we get there it is more important than ever for each and every New Yorker to wear a mask, socially distance, and follow all safety guidelines."
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