Restaurant workers may soon be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (Photo by Kate Townsend on Unsplash)
Feb. 2, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Restaurant workers, cab drivers and the developmentally disabled may soon be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that local governments are now permitted to add the three groups to the list of people currently eligible for the shot.
His announcement was a reversal from yesterday — when a reporter from The City asked him if restaurants workers would be added to the current round of vaccinations, considering indoor dining reopens in New York City on Feb. 14.
Cuomo responded that the question was “a cheap, insincere discussion,” given the limited supply of the vaccine. His comment came under fire on Twitter.
Today, the governor said he is permitting localities to expand vaccine eligibility after learning New York State will receive additional doses of the vaccine from the federal government. Each locality will get about 20 percent more dosages in the coming weeks.
“[Localities] are getting more, so theoretically they will have additional supply to make those decisions,” he said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has indicated that he supports prioritizing restaurant workers for the vaccine, but he has not stated if the city will expand the vaccine eligibility yet.
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