With Bronx Positivity Rate Currently at a Concerning 7.6 Percent, Site Will Be Reserved for Bronx Residents
Development of Site Being Made Possible Through Partnership with New York City, SOMOS Community Care and the New York National Guard
Yankee Stadium Site to Bolster State's Commitment to Ensuring Fairness and Equity in Vaccine Distribution Process
Ten Additional Community Vaccination Kits Deployed to NYCHA Senior Housing Developments, Public Housing Sites in Rochester and Hempstead and Churches and Community Centers in the Bronx and Brooklyn to Vaccinate Over 3,800 People This Weekend
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium is under development through a partnership between New York State, New York City, SOMOS Community Care, the New York National Guard and the New York Yankees. With the Bronx positivity rate currently at a concerning 7.6 percent, this site will be reserved specifically for Bronx residents. Information concerning the opening of the facility and scheduling process will be released in the coming days.
Additionally, the Governor announced the deployment of ten more community vaccination kits to underserved communities. Specifically, kits are being deployed to four NYCHA Senior Housing Developments, 2 public housing sites in Rochester and Hempstead, and three church and community center locations in the Bronx and Brooklyn. The establishment of the Yankee Stadium site, as well as the deployment of these ten community vaccination kits, bolster New York State's efforts to equitably distribute the COVID-19 vaccine in communities that are underserved by traditional healthcare institutions.
Following this weekend's deployments and as the federal vaccine supply increases, New York will continue to deploy these kits until pop-up sites have been established at all 33 NYCHA Senior Housing Developments which house more than 7,600 seniors. Pop-up locations will also continue to be established at other public housing complexes statewide, as well as at more than 300 churches and cultural centers which have volunteered to house these sites through Governor Cuomo's Vaccine Equity Task Force.
"Bronx COVID positivity remains high and to help get it back under control, we will are partnering with New York City, SOMOS, the New York National Guard and the New York Yankees to establish a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium," Governor Cuomo said. "The undeniable fact is that COVID has killed Black and Brown communities at a higher rate than the white community, and the Bronx was not immune. Vaccine equity and protecting the communities that were hit the hardest by COVID remain our top priorities. By opening a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium we are sending a clear signal to Bronx residents: it's safe, it's effective, and it's the weapon that will win the war, but we will only be successful if everyone is on board."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "This is exactly what it will take to defeat COVID and drive a recovery for all of us in New York City. I want to thank the Yankees for stepping up to the plate and the teamwork on display here to continue expanding our vaccination infrastructure in neighborhoods across the city. Our Vaccine For All campaign puts equity front and center, and this new site to exclusively serve the Bronx will be a real home run."
The New York Yankees said, "The New York Yankees are honored to participate in this partnership with Governor Andrew Cuomo, the State of New York, Mayor Bill De Blasio, the City of New York and SOMOS Community Care to open Yankee Stadium to provide vaccines to the people of the Bronx. The Yankees are committed to doing everything in their power to provide this vitally needed service to fight COVID-19."
SOMOS Community Care Chairman Dr. Ramon Tallaj said, "Not just for the Bronx, but for all of New York, Yankee Stadium stands for community, for home. It is a place where we watch heroes being made. And now, as we prepare to vaccinate our heroes, those living in the borough with the highest COVID positivity rate, it also stands for hope. It is an incredible honor to work with the city & state to vaccinate residents of the Bronx at this local landmark. Through our years of work treating underserved New Yorkers by emphasizing preventive care, and providing testing and vaccinations during this ongoing pandemic, my network has demonstrated the critical need for culturally competent, community-based health -- the importance of receiving critical care from doctors you know and trust, doctors who speak your language, share your stories, and understand your culture. Yankee Stadium offers the same comfort and familiarity as receiving care from a doctor who has treated local families for generations. And with a roll-out hindered by mistrust in hospitals, pharmacies, and the vaccines themselves, we are grateful that Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio recognize the vital need for community doctors like us to design an equitable vaccine program that takes the vaccine into the neighborhood, protecting the low-income, immigrant communities of color who have borne the brunt of COVID-19."
Major General Ray Shields, the Adjutant General of New York said, "The men and women of the New York National Guard having been helping our fellow New Yorkers battle the COVID pandemic since March 2020. We are extremely proud to assist with the State's massive vaccination goals. We currently have more than 2,500 New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on duty across the State working to stem the pandemic and help get our communities back to normal."
The establishment of these vaccination sites utilizing New York's community vaccination kits was made possible through partnerships with SOMOS, Northwell Health, SUNY Stony Brook and Trillium Health. The ten sites are located at the addresses below:
Brooklyn
Carey Gardens
2315 Surf Avenue
Kingsborough Extension
447 Kingsborough 4th Walk
Brooklyn, NY
Opens Sunday, January 31 - 9AM - 5PM
Cornerstone Baptist Church
574 Madison Street
Brooklyn, NY
Opens Monday, February 1 - 9 AM-5PM
Gods Battalion of Prayer
661 Linden Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY
Opens Monday, February 1 - 9 AM-5PM
Bronx
Hempstead
Kennedy Memorial Park Senior Housing
335 Greenwich Street
Hempstead, NY
Opens Saturday, January 30 - 10AM-2PM
Rochester
Seneca Towers Housing Complex
200 Seth Green Drive
Rochester, NY
Open Saturday, January 30 - 10AM-5PM
This expanded deployment of Community Vaccination Kits furthers Governor Cuomo's goal of ensuring the fair and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. In late 2020, the Governor announced the launch of New York's Vaccine Equity Task Force chaired by Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, Attorney General Letitia James, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial, and Healthfirst President & CEO Pat Wang. Since its establishment, the Task Force has continued work to ensure vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind by breaking down the barriers to vaccination and ensuring there is equitable distribution of the vaccine across the state.
To facilitate this effort, New York has continued to build kits and work with public housing officials, churches, and community centers to support these efforts and deploy kits to the appropriate locations. Each kit includes step-by-step instructions for how to set up a site, and critical supplies and equipment such as:
- Office Supplies
- Workstation Equipment
- Communications Equipment
- Cleaning Supplies
- Lighting Equipment
- PPE
- Crowd/Traffic Control Equipment
- Vials
- Syringes
- Room Dividers
- Privacy Curtains
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