Coronavirus Update New York City: It's opening day at Citi Field -- for vaccinations

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

2 new mega sites announced as Citi Field opens

NJ Burkett has more on vaccination efforts in New York City, including announcement of new mega sites.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- After criticism about the number of vaccine doses available at Citi Field, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced two more mega vaccination sites for New York City.

York College in Jamaica, Queens and Medger Evers College in Brooklyn will both vaccinate some 3,000 people a day starting on February 24.

"This is going to make a dramatic impact because the numbers are so big, these mass vaccinations sites. 3,000 per day, you are talking about 15,000 per week. That dwarfs everything. The Javits Center, now our big mass vaccination site, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, they are like 1,000 a day. 3,000 a day is tremendous numbers," Cuomo said.

Additionally, the state says it is adding eleven new pop-up vaccine clinics located in Queens, Manhattan, Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

Those individual sites are handling their own appointments.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was on hand Wednesday morning as Citi Field opened as the city's newest vaccination mega-site.

But measured in vaccine doses, the site is not quite as "mega" as the city's other ballpark-turned-medical-facility, Yankee Stadium.

The massive Citi Field will, for now, only have enough doses to vaccinate 200 people a day, a fraction of the 2,200 doses a day being administered at Yankee Stadium.

After criticism about the number of vaccine doses available at Citi Field, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced two more mega vaccination sites for New York City.

That's because it's run by the city, which has access to less supply than Yankee Stadium, where the state is taking the lead.

Appointments are made on the city's website.

Citi Field is open to Queens residents, TLC drivers and food delivery workers only, after the city opted to expand who is eligible to be vaccinated at their sites.

Josh Einiger has the latest on vaccination efforts in New York City.

"Citi Field is focused on Queens residents," de Blasio said. "No one bore the brunt more than Queens residents - Elmhurst and other neighborhoods.... We do need to keep making moves that encourage equity."

At last check, Citi Field is all booked for now.

For those who were able to book an appointment, the Long Island Rail Road will be operating its Mets-Willets Point stop starting today, with 24-hour service that will run indefinitely.

It's just a 19-minute trip from Penn Station.

"That's about 84 trains a day, and that's a viable option for anybody that wants to use mass transportation," said LIRR President Phil Eng. "And that's what we're going to do. We want to give the public options. Getting the vaccine is important, and having this site is vital."

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