Gov. Cuomo flip-flops on vaccinating NY restaurant workers
Safety concerns for workers were mounting as indoor dining is set to resume later this month
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday gave state facilities increased flexibility to distribute vaccines to high-risk categories of individuals, including restaurant workers who were ineligible as of Monday.
In a press conference, Cuomo said local governments across the state can add to their 1b prioritization lists if they have enough vaccine doses to do so.
"Yes, we have statewide priorities which are set by the federal government, but if a local government is now getting more and they believe in their local circumstance, they want to prioritize taxi drivers, Uber drivers because they think that's been a problem or developmentally disabled facilities or restaurant workers, they have that flexibility," Cuomo said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NY GOV. CUOMO DUBS PUSH TO VACCINATE RESTAURANT WORKERS A 'CHEAP, INSINCERE DISCUSSION'
On Monday, Cuomo said that although it would make "total sense" to categorize restaurant workers as eligible, the state did not have enough supply of the vaccine to do so.
"Yes, I would like to see restaurant workers eligible – makes total sense," Cuomo told reporters. "But what does eligibility mean when you don’t have the supply necessary?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Tuesday Cuomo said that the government would increase vaccine allocations to the state by 20%.
In phase 1B of New York’s vaccine rollout, individuals over the age of 65, teachers, grocery store workers, public transit workers and first responders are eligible, among other select high-risk groups.
But after the Democratic governor announced last week that New York City would be able to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity on Feb. 14, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed for restaurant workers to be included in the ongoing phase of vaccinations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Look, the restaurant workers now are going to be in enclosed places with people eating and drinking," de Blasio said during a media availability on Tuesday. "And every doctor on this line or any place else will say, that's an area of concern."
The New York City mayor previously requested more freedom to distribute the vaccines after locking horns with the state government over plans to vaccinate the NYPD.
He indicated on Tuesday that he supported adding restaurant workers to the 1b category, which is now allowable.
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Last week, Cuomo said President Biden’s plan to ramp up vaccine distribution by 15% to 16% was "not enough" because New York has been so efficient at administering its doses.
Cuomo told MSNBC that his state was "basically out" of vaccine doses last Tuesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to data reported on Tuesday, the state had received 1.5 million first doses and it had administered 1.4 million.