Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday criticized Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan to fine hospitals as a means of accelerating the release of vaccines much criticized by the state.
“This is just arrogance,” said de Blasio in an interview with NY1’s Errol Louis de Cuomo, who says that monetary penalties can speed up the process.
Hizzoner went on to defend the city’s health workers and told Cuomo to stop the threats.
“Does he think that our health professionals are not interested in vaccinating people? How about trusting the people who were our heroes? ”Said de Blasio.
“Help them, support them, don’t fine them, don’t threaten them, respect them and help them”.
Cuomo on Monday shifted the blame from the state’s slow inoculation effort – which saw large amounts of the unused vaccine supply – to local leaders, including Blasio.
The governor also specifically argued that the Big Apple’s municipal health and hospital system did not support the burden.
De Blasio said on Monday night that, instead of making threats, the state should implement new rules to promote faster delivery of the vaccine.
“We need rules that maximize the pace, that help us to speed up and reach the people who are available, who are priority and who are ready, willing and able, it is common sense,” said the mayor.
“So, the state can help us here. Stop threatening people. “
The state Department of Health sent a letter on Sunday establishing a use-or-lose position, Cuomo said, requiring providers to use the supplies so far allocated by the end of the week or face fines of up to $ 100,000.
In the future, they must use all vaccines within seven days of receipt or face fines – and risk being prevented from future vaccine shipments.
Public and private hospitals across the state used only 46% of the coronavirus vaccines they received, according to statistics cited by Cuomo on Monday.
Although the New York Presbyterian Health System led the way, with about 99% of its injections administered, in contrast, the city’s Health and Hospitals network used only 31%.
But De Blasio on Monday night called Cuomo’s analysis of hospitals run by the city “blatantly inaccurate, arguing that the vaccine supply was inflated, since much of the inventory was just one day old.
“What he said about Health and Hospitals was totally inaccurate. Much of that delivery to Health and Hospitals arrived in the past 24 hours, they were not even in a position to turn and use. You just got there, ”said the mayor.