New Yorkers 30 And Older Now Eligible For COVID Vaccine, As N.Y. And N.J. Top New Cases Per Capita
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As of Tuesday, millions of additional New Yorkers are now eligible for the COVID vaccine.
The major expansion means anyone over the age of 30 -- no matter their job or health -- can book a vaccine appointment and get a shot.
Samantha Chilli told CBS2's John Dias she's never been so happy to be in her 30s, since she's now eligible and all signed up for the vaccine this Saturday.
"I've been waiting for this for so long," the Park Slope woman said. "This is just kind of the next step in getting back to whatever normal is going to look like."
Next week, on April 6, the age eligibility will drop again to 16 and older.
WATCH: Mayor De Blasio's Daily Coronavirus Briefing
"I'm glad that they've taken a measured approach, make sure the right people get it at the right time," said Kate Welk, of Gowanus. "I was happy to wait my turn, but now that it's my turn, I'm going to get right on it."
"There's a lot of people that want to get the vaccine, that want to get back to doing things safely," Ryan Coleman, of Park Slope, added.
However, some fear the new high demand and limited supply will only cause more issues for those who have already been waiting patiently.
"When you open it up to more people, it's going to be harder to get," said City College teacher David Cieri.
Cieri was turned away from the Brooklyn Army Terminal on Tuesday while trying to get an appointment in person after having issues for weeks booking online.
"It's been tough," he added.
COVID VACCINE
- New York State book online here or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX
- New York City book online here or call 877-VAX-4NYC
- Track NYC vaccinations by zip code
- Nassau County more info here
- Suffolk County more info here
- Westchester County more info here
- New Jersey book online here or call 1-855-568-0545
- Connecticut book online here
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the FDNY and Department of the Aging commissioners to send vaccination teams to the homes of the most vulnerable, to ensure some of the city's oldest population isn't forgotten.
"They can't get to the vaccination, and unless you were there, they're going to be alone," the mayor said.
This came as Google announced a new partnership with Hudson Guild to open a new vaccine site on Manhattan's West Side for public housing residents. The tech giant will also donate $1 million to advertise for it.
"It's so great to see New York showing signs of recovery, but clearly we're not out of the woods," said Google's Chief Health Officer Karen DeSalvo.
The mayor said the city is not seeing evidence of reinfection with the new variants, saying it's possible but rare. He believes the vaccines seem to be working.
