NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced that the state will begin downscaling mass vaccination sites, as 70% of adult New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The state will shift its focus and resources to communities where vaccination rates are lower than the statewide average, Cuomo said in a press release.
As the state lifts COVID-19 restrictions, certain state-run mass vaccination sites will begin to downscale over the next few weeks and months, based on demand, as well as proximity to other vaccination sites, he said.
"Our network of mass vaccination sites administered the biggest throughput of vaccinations in a short period of time, and thanks to their success we hit the milestones we needed to hit to get back to life as we know it," Cuomo said in a statement.
"Our statewide progress has been remarkable, but we still need to get more shots into people's arms, particularly in areas that are still lagging on vaccinations," he added. "We have to go where the need is greatest, and so many of our mass sites will gradually start downscaling so that we can use our resources to target communities where vaccination rates are still low."
Starting Monday, June 21, the first phase of downscaling will begin with the closing of mass sites including the York College location in Queens.
Earlier this month, Cuomo announced that several pop-up vaccination sites would open in areas with lower vaccination rates, in order to continue making the vaccine accessible in all communities across the state.
New Yorkers can make appointments and check on the availability of vaccines at State-run mass vaccination sites using the Am I Eligible tool.
All open sites continue to offer walk-in vaccinations for eligible individuals.