Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York announced on Sunday that vaccination appointments scheduled to take place in the city on Monday would be postponed because of an impending winter storm that is expected to shed up to 16 centimeters of snow in the region.
At a press conference on Sunday, de Blasio said he did not want older New Yorkers to travel for vaccine appointments, warning of a blizzard in high winds. Winter storm warnings were in effect across much of the eastern United States on Sunday, affecting major metropolitan areas from Washington to Boston.
Face-to-face learning in New York schools will also close on Monday.
Mr. de Blasio did not specify when vaccination appointments will take place. Vaccinations scheduled for Tuesday have not been canceled for the time being, he said.
The storm will temporarily disable the launch of a vaccine in New York City, which has been plagued by inadequate supplies, flawed registration systems and confusion over the state’s strict eligibility guidelines. In New York, the vaccine is currently available to residents aged 65 and over, as well as a wide range of workers designated as “essential”
About 800,000 doses have been administered so far in the city, said de Blasio.