NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A mass vaccination site will open at Yankee Stadium, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday as the Bronx continues to see a high COVID positivity rate.
"You cannot play baseball when you come," the governor said at his briefing. "But you can come to Yankee Stadium."
Cuomo said the site will be a joint effort between the state and city, as well as the Yankees, SOMOS Community Care and the National Guard.
“I want to thank the Yankees, (President) Randy Levine. I told him that we would not disturb the grass. Please honor that commitment,” the governor quipped.
The National Guard will construct and administer the vaccination site and SOMOS Community Care will operate it.
In a statement, the Yankees said the team was honored to partner up "to provide vaccines to the people of the Bronx."
"The Yankees are committed to doing everything in their power to provide this vitally needed service to fight COVID-19,” the team said.
The site will be for Bronx residents only. It's unclear when it will open.
The Bronx has the highest COVID positivity rate in the city at 7.06% on Friday.
"Bronx positivity is still high. And we’ve been talking about this for weeks," Cuomo said.
By comparison, the positivity rate in Queens is 5.80%; Brooklyn is 5.57%; Staten Island is 5.53%; and Manhattan is 3.47%. Citywide, the positivity rate is 5.27%, according to state data.
Meanwhile, it's still unclear when a 24/7 vaccination site will open at Citi Field in Queens after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this month that shots would be administered at the Mets' stadium.
Representatives from City Hall and the Mets told the New York Post on Sunday that the opening of the site could be delayed amid a vaccine shortage. It was expected to open in late January.
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