Coronavirus News: Governor Cuomo sends letter to President Trump requesting meeting on vaccine plan

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Raw Video: Cuomo sends letter to President TrumpRaw Video: Gov. Cuomo details the letter the nation's governors have sent to the president about COVID vaccine plans.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the expected coronavirus vaccine will need a plan for administering it to people once ready in states across the country.

He and other governors, as part of the National Governors Association, sent President Trump a letter requesting a meeting to figure out how that will work.

"It is a massive undertaking," Cuomo said. "And I'm telling you there's no simple answer and it's very expensive and complicated."

Governor Cuomo also noted that he expects there to be a subset of people who will not take the vaccine, and the country will continue to see "ongoing small flare-ups of COVID."

The full letter reads:

Dear President Trump,

States have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, working tirelessly to protect and care for our residents during this global pandemic. Governors are willing to assist your Administration's efforts to ensure a national vaccination campaign is implemented smoothly and efficiently. However, additional guidance and clarification is needed on the roles and expectations of states in a successful COVID-19 vaccine distribution and implementation plan.

To that end, as Chair and Vice-Chair of the National Governors Association, we request a meeting with you and your team to discuss what is required to ensure a strong partnership, including but not limited to: the delineation of federal and state responsibilities; the funding needs associated with those responsibilities; and the planned supply chain management and vaccine allocation process.
We look forward to a productive conversation together.

Sincerely,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Chair, National Governors Association

Governor Asa Hutchinson, Vice Chair, National Governors Association

RELATED | New map highlights the new zones

ALSO READ: Frustration over closed parks causes protesters to cut locks to Brooklyn playground

Stay-at-home fatigue is igniting a new battle in New York City as protesters in Brooklyn once again defied a city order and cut the locks off of playgrounds in their neighborhood.

MORE NEWS: Watch Eyewitness to a Pandemic

The sense of doom grew, especially after March 1, when the first confirmed case arrived in Manhattan. Soon, there was a hotspot in New Rochelle, and small curfews and containment zones across the area offered a hint of a frightening future we still thought we could avoid.