BUFFALO, N.Y. — When Gov. Andrew Cuomo wasn’t defending the sexual misconduct allegations against him Friday, he also talked about COVID-19 vaccinations and signing a law that will allow people to take time off to get vaccinated.
The bill, approved by the state legislature, allows people to take time off from work to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The governor signed the bill into law.
"This will ensure that all New Yorkers have an opportunity to get vaccinated. Our goal is to be the COVID safe state," Cuomo said.
Workers will be allowed to use up to four hours off from work per dose.
This week Community Health Center of Buffalo was approved as the latest local provider to be able to offer the vaccine.
"We’re very excited about the supply chain picking up and a lot more vaccine so we can get them out," said Dr. LaVonne Ansari, CEO of Community Health Center of Buffalo.
Leaders here say they expect doses of vaccine to arrive later this month, on March 22. But they’re unsure which vaccine will arrive and how many doses. Still, preparations are underway.
"What we’ve established is what I'm going to call, we’re going to set up a command center. And what we’ve been doing is working with our partners, our churches, our community organizations, and we have begun to start getting information from them as to how many vaccines they want," Dr. Ansari said.
When the doses arrive, Community Health Center of Buffalo says they will first get their staff fully vaccinated, and their immediate families, then get doses to people in underserved communities who are already on a waiting list.
Leaders here foresee a challenge in persuading young people, who are old enough, to get vaccinated.
"There’s going to be that group of people that are hesitant to get it, or aren’t educated enough, and that those young people that we’re really going to have to work to get," Ansari said.
She says Community Health Center of Buffalo has been doing a lot of outreach with pastors, lawmakers and community groups.