New York on cusp of easing remaining COVID restrictions, some NYC zipcodes lagging on vax
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo journeyed to Syracuse on Monday to tout New York’s vaccination progress as the state inches towards the easing of most remaining COVID restrictions.
Currently, 69.9% of New Yorkers over 18 have received at least one dose, just a tenth of a percent shy of the governor’s 70% threshold for the state to make mask requirements and capacity limits for most businesses optional.
“It means we’re doing well, but it also means keep going,” Cuomo said during a press conference from the state fairgrounds. “And that’s what the celebration is going to be. It’s not the finish line at 70, but we’re coming around the last turn on the track and we have to focus and we have to know that we’re doing well.”
More than 11.2 million New Yorkers are partially vaccinated as of Monday, including 10.8 million adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cuomo, while encouraging tourism and announcing the State Fair will be allowed to operate at 100% capacity later this summer, also highlighted areas across the state that have not kept pace with vaccinations.
“These are the places where we have to target to get that vaccination rate up, and we are going to post this so, while the local governments know this, these are the target areas you want to increase the vaccination rate,” he said.
Several Brooklyn neighborhoods appeared on Cuomo’s list of the 25 zip codes with the lowest vaccination rates, including parts of Williamsburg, Canarsie, Crown Heights and Brownsville.
Of the state’s 1,755 zip codes, 10% have vaccination rates below 38.8%.
Cuomo said the issue is a mix of “a communication issue and education issue” and “a hesitancy issue.”
He encouraged local governments to step up on the ground education efforts and at-home vaccination services.
The state’s seven-day positivity rate is down to 0.41% and only 617 people are currently hospitalized with COVID. Another seven New Yorkers died from the virus on Sunday.
Currently, 14 states have reached the Biden administration’s goal of getting at least one shot into the arms of 70% of adults by July 4.
Neighboring Vermont, meanwhile, announced that it became the first state in the nation to report that 80% of the eligible population has gotten at least one dose.
