ALBANY – The State Department of Health is investigating whether a Kiryas Joel health center may have fraudulently obtained the COVID-19 vaccine and transferred to facilities in other parts of the state.
Health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said he is investigating whether the Monroe-based Parcare Community Health Network “transferred him to other parts of the state, violating state guidelines and diverted him to members of the public – contrary to the plan the state of administering first for frontline health professionals, as well as residents and nursing home employees ”.
He said his department “will take this very seriously and DOH will be assisting the State Police in a criminal investigation into this matter. Anyone found to have consciously participated in this scheme will be held liable to the full extent of the law. “
“Frontline workers and nursing home residents across the country deserve access to the COVID-19 vaccine right away. That should be the only priority for the vaccine at this point. The state should coordinate the distribution of the vaccine only to entities committed to it, ”said Orange County spokesman Justin Rodriguez.
Parcare has four other facilities in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan and is linked to the Hasidic Jewish community.
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