NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday said New York State is falling behind in its vaccination efforts now that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal.
In the midst of a continuing public health crisis. Gov. Cuomo has now gone more than a week without holding a press conference, something de Blasio thinks should change soon.
“I think all leaders have to answer tough questions from the media regardless of whether it's convenient,” he said.
The mayor said he believes New York is slowing down in its vaccination efforts because the governor is preoccupied with harassment allegations.
A total of three women have come forward, saying Cuomo acting inappropriately by attempting to kiss them or subjecting them to unsavory comments and questions.
“The state of New York is not keeping up with the need to update…these (vaccine) eligibility categories,” the mayor said.
During a virtual press conference, de Blasio acknowledged that he and the governor have not had the best relationship saying, “We've had challenges with the governor's office for seven years.”
And though city officials are still communicating with state officials, the mayor says the state is lacking leadership at this moment.
“As we see improvement on supply front, it's a reminder you got to reach all the folks we really need to be reaching and for very strategic reasons,” said de Blasio.
He has called on Cuomo's office to add several more people to the vaccine eligibility list, including sanitation workers, lifeguards and people involved in the court system.
“Our court system's still not functioning. That is holding back the entire justice system. What should we do: Vaccinate,” de Blasio said. “Vaccinate everyone who works in the courtrooms. Vaccinate the court officers. Vaccinate the district attorney staff. Vaccinate everyone who serves on a jury.”
De Blasio says most of the state’s vaccination issues would be solved if the state gave decision making powers back to localities.
“If you put too much power in one person's hands, bad things happen,” he said, adding that “the current decision-making system is broken.”
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