Coronavirus NY News: Cuomo says vaccine could arrive this weekend, nursing homes first

Coronavirus Update for New York

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Thursday, December 10, 2020

NJ Burkett has the latest on when Governor Cuomo expects the vaccine to arrive.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Gov. Cuomo explained the initial allocation of COVID-19 vaccines would be distributed throughout the state.

He announced during his press conference on Wednesday that the state is expecting to receive 170,000 doses of the vaccine, as soon as this weekend.

The governor explains the amount of vaccines that will be distributed around New York State.

Nursing home residents will be the very first to get the vaccine, followed by nursing home staff, and then high-risk hospital workers.

Of the 170,000 doses for New York: 72,000 doses will go to New York City, 26,500 to Long Island, and 19,200 to the Mid-Hudson region. The rest are spread out among the other regions in the state.

Dave Evans has the latest on when New Yorker's can expect the COVID vaccine.

Governor Cuomo said that 90 regional centers are ready to store the Pfizer vaccine.

Anthony Priolo and his brothers own Armato Ice in the Bronx. Their dry ice will play a huge part in keeping the super sensitive COVID vaccines super cold, as low as 94 degrees below zero.

Jim Dolan has more on a Bronx dry ice business that could play a huge part in storing doses of the COVID vaccine.

The FDA could approve the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use as soon as Thursday. Six million of the doses will immediately be delivered around the country, with the amount depending on each state's population.

Governor Cuomo said that half of the 6 million doses will be held for the second dose required for those getting the first dose.

A New York State panel will convene upon the FDA's approval of the vaccine to immediately review and approve the vaccine in order to build confidence among residents.

The Pfizer vaccine, according to NYC Health Commissioner David Chokshi, will arrive in the city on December 15, followed by the Moderna vaccine as soon as December 22.

New York state has opted into a federal program where CVS and Walgreens employees will vaccinate nursing home residents and staff in the facilities, like the flu vaccine.

Deliveries for this program are expected to begin arriving next week and the federal administration program will begin by December 21.

The state is dedicating part of its initial allocation to this program, and it is expected to be enough to cover all nursing home residents.

Part of future allocations will ensure enough doses are distributed to complete the program.

HHS has agreed to allow New York to not send them to the individual, which could identifying the data of people who receive the vaccine.

Gov. Cuomo says that will be helpful in convincing undocumented immigrants to get the vaccine.

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