NEW YORK (NEWS10/WSYR) — A coalition of Black and brown spiritual leaders joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the Javits Center to urge their communities to put their trust in the vaccine. Cuomo also announced that ten new vaccination sites would open statewide, including one in Queensbury.
Members of the clergy united to make a powerful statement in the face of vaccine hesitancy. The Rev. Gilbert Pickett was vaccinated at the end of the briefing. "As a New Yorker and as a pastor," he said, "I am taking this vaccine today. Alluding to COVID variants that have been identified statewide, he said, "We need to stop this virus here and now" before it mutates or worsens.
Cuomo laid out the importance of vaccine equity, using a breakdown of demographics of vaccine recipients in New York City:
| Race | % of population | % of vaccinations |
|---|---|---|
| White | 53% | 57% |
| Black | 27% | 18% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 28% | 20% |
| Asian | 16% | 23% |
"Well, 'Why?' is the question," Cuomo said.
Pickett quoted scripture—"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing"—and encouraged more houses of worship to take part in statewide efforts to get communities of color vaccinated. Cuomo also announced that the state will open 10 more state-run mass vaccination sites as the federal supply of COVID-19 vaccines increases.
Sites are still in development and will open in the coming weeks. Final details, including appointment scheduling and hours of operation, will be released in the next few days.
"Thanks to increasing vaccine supply from our partners in Washington we can utilize more of our state's capacity to distribute doses, and once they are open, these new sites will allow us to continue to get shots into arms on a large scale," Governor Cuomo said. "We know the vaccine is the weapon that will win this war, but it's only effective if we all take it, which is why we are working around the clock to establish sites like these across the state to reach as many New Yorkers as possible. The more people we vaccinate, the more we can continue our progress in keeping the infection rate at bay, reopening our economy, and defeating COVID once and for all."
The 10 sites being established will open in the coming weeks at the following locations:
Established state-run vaccination sites include:
New Yorkers looking to make an appointment can visit New York's "Am I Eligible" website or by calling the state's COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at (833)-NYS-4-VAX.
Also as part of Monday's event, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said, "Herd immunity will finally put covid on the defense and allow us to move forward."
