Let NYC Give Coronavirus Vaccine To People 75 And Up, Mayor Says

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio gave a pointed plea for permission to give the coronavirus vaccine to New Yorkers over 75.

Left unnamed was the plea’s target — Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

De Blasio’s remarks Wednesday were the latest in a days-long campaign for the “state” — really, Cuomo — to give the city more flexibility to dole out COVID-19 vaccines.

“We need the freedom to vaccinate,” he said as the Statue of Liberty flashed on the screen during his briefing.

Cuomo so far has focused on first vaccinating those in the state’s “priority 1a” category, which is largely health care workers and nursing home residents.

Essential workers and vulnerable New Yorkers, including those over 75, are in other categories that don’t yet have permission to receive vaccines.

Disputes between Cuomo and de Blasio are a near-daily occurrence, but this one unfolded against the backdrop of a slower-than-hoped rollout of coronavirus vaccinations.

Cuomo on Monday appeared to pin blame in part on officials — de Blasio included — who head public hospital systems that he said were too slowly distributing vaccines.

De Blasio called the governor arrogant over that charge but later walked it back. He said hesitance by about 30 percent of health care workers to get doses contributed to the slow pace.

This is why the city is pressing for more “flexibility,” he said.

“You can't give the vaccine to someone who doesn't want it,” he said. “You can only give it to someone willingly. And we've got to have the ability to reach the next willing person, the next one, the next one.”

De Blasio applauded the state’s decision Tuesday to allow all of priority 1a to receive vaccines — a move he said would open up doses to home care workers, correctional officers and 25,000 NYPD personnel.

The city’s goal is to vaccinate 10,000 NYPD personnel by Sunday, he said.

But de Blasio said the city wants to “go farther.”

Dave Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, said data shows alarming trends with cases and hospitalization in people over 75.

They account for 6 percent of all COVID-19 cases over the past month, but 30 percent of hospitalizations and 58 percent of deaths, Chokshi said.

“Percent positivity is increasing citywide, but particularly among that same group of individuals to almost 12 percent in the most recent week for people older than 75,” he said. “Data from the Test and Trace Corps show that more than half of cases age 75 and up are likely from community transmission and about 38 percent are from a close contact to a known case, usually household transmission.”

Chokshi said several states have already prioritized vaccinations for people 75 and older.

There are currently 1.3 million New York residents who are 75 and older in the state’s priority 1b category, according to data Cuomo presented Wednesday.

Chomp said the state doesn’t have enough supply to expand doses to groups beyond health care workers.

The state isn’t halfway through enough supply for health care workers, he said. They can’t risk getting sick or else hospitals get overwhelmed, he said.

“We need to get the health care population done because they are the front line,” he said.

Cuomo pointed out his own mother, former New York First Lady Matilda Cuomo, is over 75 years old. She will get the vaccine when the state opens it up to the 1b category.

The debate over vaccination pace and priorities isn’t limited to Cuomo and de Blasio.

Comptroller Scott Stringer, who is also running for mayor, recently released a plan for stepping up vaccinations through 24/7 distribution centers and other steps. The plan received local support from Brooklyn Community Board 6.

Stringer on Wednesday applauded de Blasio’s announcement that the city would start pre-registering seniors for picked up his suggestion to create a standby list of seniors to get doses.

This article originally appeared on the New York City Patch