BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – New York State will open up five COVID-19 vaccine "pop-up" sites this week in Western New York.
Three of the sites are opening on Thursday. Those include The Belle Center on Maryland Street in Buffalo, Mt. Olive Baptist Church on East Delavan Avenue in Buffalo, and Wrobel Towers on Niagara Avenue in Niagara Falls.
The other two sites, Second Baptist church on Church Street in Lackawanna and Doris Jones Family Resource Building on 9th Street in Niagara Falls, both open Friday.
The five locations in Western New York are among 35 sites that are opening statewide. The pop-up sites are intended to prioritize eligible residents who live in areas of poverty.
"COVID brought the ugly truth of inequity and inequality in this country to a tipping point," Governor Cuomo said in a statement. "COVID has killed Black and Latino New Yorkers at a higher rate and that is why these community-based sites are one of New York's vaccine priorities. More than 9,000 New Yorkers have been vaccinated through this effort and by making the vaccine accessible and delivered by trusted community partners, we can address the skepticism and bring this life-saving vaccine to those who need it most. The light at the end of the tunnel is bright and getting brighter with each new location and each shot administered."
St. John Baptist Church in Buffalo was among the first pop-up vaccine sites in the state. New York plans to continue deploying the pop-up sites at senior housing developments, public housing complexes, churches, and cultural centers.
