By Hanna Park
(NEW YORK) New York will open nine pop-up coronavirus vaccination sites at early voting locations this weekend in areas that have relatively low vaccination rates, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.
“We remain laser-focused on making the vaccine accessible in every community, and will go wherever New Yorkers go in order to reach them,” Cuomo said in a statement. “These new pop-up sites at early voting locations will allow New Yorkers to perform two civic duties at once — casting their ballot and rolling up their sleeve.”
The new pop-up sites come as the city braces for its first mayoral primary with ranked-choice voting on June 22 to encourage vaccination and boost availability, Cuomo said.
New York partially vaccinated at least 70.6% of the state’s adult population as of Thursday, according to federal data. Cuomo had relaxed all remaining coronavirus restrictions earlier this week as the number of reported cases declined steadily in the state. The governor had encouraged other incentives such as free games and lottery tickets to make shots more accessible.
The following vaccination sites will open on Saturday:
- Manhattan: Columbia University Medical Center’s Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion
- Brooklyn: SUNY Downstate Medical Center
- Bronx: Claremont Neighborhood Centers
- Staten Island: The Gerard Carter Center
- Queens: The Rochdale Village Community Center
Based on state data, the vaccination rates in these areas range from about 40 to 54%.
On Sunday, vaccination sites in Huntington Station on Long Island, Schenectady and Rochester will open. Meanwhile, another site in Buffalo opened on Friday.