Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and NewYork-Presbyterian today announced the launch of a new COVID-19 vaccination site for New Yorkers at the Fort Washington Armory in Washington Heights. The location, located at 216 Fort Washington Avenue at the corner of 169th Street, was made possible thanks to the additional partnership of Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center and is offering COVID-19 vaccines to individuals over 65 with scheduled appointments just beginning on January 14th.
The supply of vaccines from the state of New York is limited by the federal government. Based on federal guidelines that the state is following more than 7 million New Yorkers, they are now eligible for the COVID vaccine, but the state only receives approximately 300,000 doses per week from the federal government. As such, the number of consultations available each day will vary based on supply, not only at the Fort Washington Armory site, but also across the state.
“The COVID pandemic highlighted the pre-existing inequality in our society and our health system – and while we are fighting this virus, we also have to fight the forces of inequality,” said Governor Cuomo. “NewYork-Presbyterian was one of the most effective hospitals in the early days of our vaccination program, and we are now partnering with them and our Vaccine Equity Task Force to expand their efforts in the community. With partnerships like this, we are ensuring New Yorkers of color are not left behind. ”
Dr. Steven J. Corwin, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian said: “COVID-19 has had a tragic impact on our communities. Now, after almost a year on the front line, we are finally fighting this deadly virus. We are proud to work with Governor Cuomo and the state to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible and start restoring the health and vitality of the city we all love. “
To make an appointment on the Fort Washington Armory website, New York Presbyterian patients age 65 and older can use the ColumbiaDoctors, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Connect online patient portal. Patients who do not have a Connect account and people over 65 who are not ColumbiaDoctors, Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian patients can set up an account by visiting VaccineTogetherNY.org.
Armory is wheelchair accessible and meets ADA accessibility standards. In addition, the site has a medical team that speaks Spanish and English. New Yorkers over 65 who have scheduled appointments can access the venue via trains A and C. The stop for trains A and C is Broadway and 168th Street.
The establishment of the Fort Washington Armory vaccination site further expands the expanded network of vaccination sites established by Governor Cuomo to accelerate the vaccination rate for priority health workers and initiate vaccination for newly eligible New Yorkers. New York has already opened four state-run vaccination sites at Jacob K. Javits Center, Westchester County Center, New York State Fair Expo Center and Jones Beach, with an additional location at SUNY Albany scheduled to open Friday, January 15 at 8 am 15 additional sites are also scheduled to start operations in the coming days.
In addition, this website promotes Governor Cuomo’s goal of ensuring fair and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. In late 2020, the governor announced the launch of the New York Vaccine Equity Task Force, chaired by Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, Attorney General Letitia James, National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial and President and CEO of Healthfirst Pat Wang. Since its establishment, the Task Force has continued to work to ensure that vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind, breaking barriers to vaccination and ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of the vaccine across the state.
Congressman Adriano Espaillat said: “It is critical that we ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is available to all New Yorkers, not just those who have better access to health care facilities, which is why this large-scale vaccination site in Washington Heights is a step in the right direction. I thank Governor Cuomo and NewYork-Presbyterian for their efforts to expand access to the vaccine in our community. This new site will help ensure that the vaccine is not only timely but also justly distributed. . “
New York City Secretary of State and President Vaccine Equity Task Force Rossana Rosado said: “Needy communities were and continue to be hardest hit during the pandemic. As co-chair of Governor Cuomo’s NYS Vaccine Equity Task Force , we are addressing this issue We are working to reduce barriers and ensure equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccination site in NY Presbyterian is part of our regional vaccine network that will help provide all New Yorkers with equal access to vaccine. “
Senator Robert Jackson said: “I am very grateful for the combined efforts of the NewYork-Presbyterian and the NYS Department of Health to expand vaccine clinics to northern Manhattan. We haven’t had vaccination sites for long, although the highest rates of infections in the neighborhood have been at Inwood and Washington Heights, my constituents will now have the opportunity to obtain the vaccine we all need during this pandemic, thanks to their efforts, and I look forward to continuing to work with the governor’s office building capacity to meet the needs of our community. ”
Assembly member Al Taylor said: “COVID-19 hit Harlem and Washington Heights more heavily in Manhattan and it is critical that our community has access to the COVID vaccine. This large-scale vaccination site is a great start to ensuring that distribution is fair to residents of the I thank Governor Cuomo and NewYork-Presbyterian for taking this step to ensure that the vaccine is distributed in a timely and affordable manner. I will continue to work with my government partners to ensure that our residents continue to have access to this vaccine as quickly as possible. needed. ”
Council member Ydanis Rodriguez said: “Northern Manhattan has some of the highest rates of COVID-19 in the Manhattan neighborhood. I am proud to know that the Armory located in the heart of Washington Heights will be transformed into a vaccination site. to Governor Cuomo and New York Presbyterian for their help in turning the Armory into a vaccination site. I hope this is the first of many vaccination sites that we will see open in northern Manhattan. We are in the final stretch, all New Yorkers must continue to do your part, wearing masks and keeping socially apart. We’ll be working with other partners to ensure that appointments can be made over the phone and in multiple languages and that we prioritize underserved communities that have been devastated by COVID-19. alongside my colleagues at the city, state and federal levels to ensure that we are keeping all New Yorkers safe. “