New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that President Biden’s plan to increase the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine “was not enough” as the Empire State faces a shortage of doses.
Biden announced on Tuesday night that the US government will increase vaccine distributions by about 15% to 16% per week, although Cuomo noted that, as New York is efficient in administering its doses, this leap is unlikely to it will make a big difference.
“Is 16 percent going to make a difference for states that can administer vaccines at a higher rate? No,” Cuomo said during an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday.
Cuomo told the outlet that his condition “is basically out of vaccine today – we are functionally out.”
The state of New York administered 1.2 million first doses, or 93% of the doses it received.
THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR OF NY CUOMO SAYS THAT SOME COVID RESTRICTIONS CAN BE IMMEDIATELY HIGH
The Democratic governor, who is also president of the National Association of Governors, said the government’s plan is a step in the right direction – adding that he is pleased to be able to tell distributors what they can expect over a three-week period due to a promised and “reliable” programming.
The problem, Cuomo said, is the supply of doses, which is not controlled by the federal government, but by Pfizer and Moderna.
The federal government hopes to formally announce the purchase of an additional 200 million cumulative doses of Pfizer and Moderna soon, due to be delivered in the summer.
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As previously reported by Fox News, on Monday Cuomo said he intended to officially announce the loosening of restrictions in the state due to the flattening of the holiday-related increase in cases.
However, indoor restaurants in New York are not expected to be affected by upcoming announcements this week.
On Tuesday, the governor’s office reported total hospitalizations at 8,831 and a positivity rate of 6.79%.