NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – New York City is opening up its first vaccine hubs on Sunday as it seeks to ramp up the number of residents getting COVID shots this month.
The sites are opening at three locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens: South Bronx Educational Campus (701 St. Ann’s Avenue); Bushwick Educational Campus (400 Irving Avenue); and Hillcrest High School (160-05 Highland Avenue in Jamaica).
The three hubs will start with the capacity to vaccinate a total of 5,000 to 7,000 people per day. They’ll be open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for eligible residents through appointments made online.
At the Bronx location on Saturday, tables in the cafeteria at University Heights School were ready to go, complete with face shields, disinfectant and red containers to throw out used needles. The gymnasium, which will operate as the post-vaccine observation area, had more than 100 chairs spaced out evenly.
“The whole process of turning a vaccine into a vaccination takes about 30 minutes,” said city Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi during a tour of the site.
University Heights School is one of 15 vaccination sites that will be coming online over the next week, Chokshi said. There are currently over 125 sites up and running.
Chokshi said he was glad to hear Gov. Andrew Cuomo heed calls from the city about moving from Phase 1a to Phase 1b. Those in the new category, including first responders and people over 75, will become eligible starting Monday after a back-and-forth between the city and state this week.
“With the state’s announcement about expanded eligibility, sites like this one will be able to serve even more New Yorkers starting Monday, including teachers, first responders and people 75 and older,” Chokshi said.
Related
The city said that the hubs, mega sites, pop-up clinics and more are forming a large network of vaccine access points across the five boroughs. De Blasio announced this week that the city has a goal of vaccinating 1 million people in January.
State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda said officials will be watching the rollout closely, especially in hard-hit areas like the South Bronx.
“We’re going to hold their feet to the fire. We are going to push like hell and take no excuses. Our community suffered too much,” Sepúlveda said.
The senator said the sandbox fighting between the mayor and governor over who is eligible to get the vaccine has to stop.
“I’ve sent a message to the governor, ‘We’ve got to move faster,’” Sepúlveda said. “If I sound super passionate about it, it’s because I’ve seen so many people in our community die.”