COVID-19 vaccine hunters flocked across the city and the state to reach Washington Heights on Wednesday in search of the injection – including a couple who were driven away in a limo.
The Upper Manhattan Fort Washington Armory, transformed into an inoculation site by a site near New York Presbyterian Hospital, remained one of the few vaccination sites in the city still in operation this week, despite widespread vaccine shortages.
But, as The City reported on Tuesday, many of those who attended the jabs came from outside the hard-hit neighborhood – and at the moment there was a shortage of Spanish-speaking officials to help Hispanic residents.
Although the Post found Spanish-speaking workers on Wednesday, the previous trend persisted.
“We are relieved,” said Carol, an elderly woman who traveled with her husband on the Upper East Side to take a bite. “We have been trying for two months to make an appointment. It’s crazy. “
Carol, who refused to give her last name, and her husband – who declined to be identified – were picked up after consultation by a black Cadillac limousine, with the driver waiting with his puppy.
“You have to fight for it,” said Carol’s husband, laughing, when asked if he thought the vaccine was being distributed fairly.
After outrage over the news of strangers coming to be beaten, NewYork-Presbyterian announced on Wednesday that on-site appointments would now only go to New York residents – and a minimum of 60 percent would be reserved for Washington Heights residents, Inwood, Northern and Central Harlem and South Bronx. All existing commitments will still be honored.
Earlier that day, Min Ye had driven about three hours inland from Schoharie County to ensure that his mother, 78, and father, 80, could be vaccinated after getting an online appointment the day before.
She explained that her parents have an apartment in Midtown Manhattan, but are temporarily living with her upstate.
“They are living in the interior of the state. They still have their apartment, ”she said. “We feel that we are also part of this community.”
Judy Stevens, 76, defended a trip from the Upper West Side for her vaccine, saying the Big Apple is a large community.
“This is New York City and, for me, you give it to everyone who needs it. People here can access the computer like everyone else, ”said Stevens, whose daughter made an appointment for her at the hospital on Wednesday. “We are all in the same place, but we are not going to split. We are all in New York City. We are all residents. “
Erica Smith brought her 88-year-old mother, who has a pacemaker, for a vaccine.
“I told them about my mother’s heart condition and they told me to bring her in immediately,” said Smith, referring to hospital staff.
Smith, who along with her mother lives in Washington Heights, said she has no problem with strangers coming to the jabs.
“It’s a health situation, so why do you want to help only people in [your] Neighborhood? “She asked.
The mayor, however, criticized the practice during a news conference on Wednesday morning.
“I’m really concerned with what I’m hearing,” said de Blasio. “Here you have a place in the middle of an incredibly hit neighborhood, a community largely of immigrants, a Latin community that was one of the places that suffered the impact of the COVID crisis.
“I want to see Columbia Presbyterian do everything in their power to reach the local community,” he continued. “That should be the mandate. That should be the focus of that center, period. Many years they want the vaccine in the community. “
Hizzoner added that the vaccination effort cannot be seen as favoring people more “privileged” than others.
“The whole idea of a successful vaccination effort must be based on the community,” he said. “And people in the community need to see that these sites are really for them and are not being left out of their own community sites. Therefore, this needs to be fixed immediately. “
At the municipal level, de Blasio acknowledged that public and private hospitals could be doing a better job of ensuring that paperwork and consultations related to the vaccination process were available in languages other than English and Spanish.
“It is a huge and comprehensive effort, but we have to make sure it is as inclusive as possible,” said de Blasio, insisting that the city could compel private facilities to offer materials in other languages spoken across the city, including Chinese, French , Creole and Russian.
“It looks like none of them are sure,” said de Blasio, while his request for the city’s three specialist doctors on the line to weigh in was met with a long silence. “If we don’t have the ability to place the order, we really have to guarantee it very aggressively [that it’s implemented]. “
When Hizzoner turned to doctors for answers on forms at municipal public hospitals, there was again a significant pause.
“You have to give credit to those who deserve it. When The New York Post is right, they are right, ”said de Blasio. “The actual application forms for appointments need to be in languages other than English and Spanish if we are really going to maximize access. So, let’s start working to fix this. “
The lack of translations is not the first time that the city’s vaccination effort has been criticized for accessibility issues.
Seniors criticized the city’s complicated online registration system for freezing them, although they are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus.
In a statement, the New York-Presbyterian said: An ongoing engagement initiative is focused on reaching eligible North Manhattan residents and registering them for consultation. This process is being carried out in partnership with more than 40 community and faith-based organizations and other partners, and is focused on providing access, overcoming hesitations and addressing persistent inequalities. “