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Beginning on Tuesday, April 6, any New Yorker age 16 or older can begin scheduling an appointment to receive the vaccine.
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.
"We went through a long winter ... The COVID winter. The coldest, darkest, most frightening winter we've ever gone through," Cuomo said during a press briefing on Monday, April 5. "We have to crush COVID ... And we have it on the run, but now is the time we have to crush it once and for all, and the first step toward doing that is you have to take the vaccine."
More than 10 million COVID-19 vaccinations have been provided to New Yorkers, with hundreds of thousands more receiving their first dose every day. Approximately one-third of New Yorkers have received at least one dose, and nearly 20 percent are fully vaccinated.
Statewide, a total of 6,647,220 first doses have been administered in New York, with another 4,133,847 receiving a second dose to complete the vaccination process.
"Our mission to get every New Yorker vaccinated for the COVID virus and to do it equitably has been without precedent - there was no blueprint and no one had even heard of a mass vaccination site until very recently," Cuomo said.
Delivery of the latest allocation of COVID-19 vaccine doses in New York 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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