ALBANY, N.Y. — As New Yorkers frustration continues to mount over the lack of available COVID-19 vaccine statewide, Governor Andrew Cuomo called the federal rollout of vaccines 'incompetent' up until now.
Cuomo accuses Washington of raising the expectation of those now eligible to get a vaccine without increasing supply, increasing anxiety and damage, and creating 'public chaos'. Despite over a million doses administered statewide so far, Cuomo says it's not enough.
The governor announced action he's taking on several fronts to get more shots into the arms of New Yorkers across the state. Cuomo said those facilities who are vaccinating faster will get more doses. In addition, he said the state will keep on reserve enough doses for all unvaccinated residents and the remainder of staff at long term care facilities who have not declined a vaccine for the next three weeks. After that, the remainder will be put into the NYS vaccination program.
Cuomo also said he has sent a letter to Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer, a New York State-based company not bound by the regulations under Operation Warp Speed, to see if the state can purchase vaccine doses directly from the company.
In other pandemic related news, the governor said numbers show a continued decline in positive COVID-19 rates following the holiday season. Also, the rate of increase in the number of hospitalizations is slowing and is currently at the lowest rate since October. However, he continued to express concern that new strains, including those from the UK, Brazil and South Africa, could cause a second wave and called on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to 'learn the lessons of the spring' and take action now to prevent it.
In the WNY region, which encompasses Erie, Niagara, Allegany, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, the COVID-19 positive rate is currently 6.46%. There are currently 504 hospitalized, or 0.04% of the region's population.
Cuomo also announced despite plans to do so, he said he will not be traveling to Washington to attend the Inauguration of President-Elect Joseph Biden on Wednesday. The governor said he will be staying behind in Albany to deal with any possible threat of action to the state capital tied to the presidential swearing-in.
The governor ended his briefing Monday by praising Bills fans who have donated thousands of dollars to a favorite charity of Ravens QB Lamar Jackson following the concussion that took him out of Saturday night's NFL Division round game calling it a 'beautiful gesture'.