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Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority to provide 1,000 day passes for residents to travel to pop-up site
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced New York state will provide 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses and establish a new pop-up site targeting 16- to 25-year-olds in Buffalo. He also announced the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority will provide 1,000 day passes to help eligible residents reach the pop-up site.
"While some younger New Yorkers might believe themselves to be superheroes who can withstand COVID, it's important for them to remember that, just because you might not get extremely sick, it doesn't mean you can't infect other more-vulnerable people," Cuomo said. "With Western New York continuing to have the state's highest positivity rate, we are stepping in to remind the region – and particularly its young people – how important the COVID-19 vaccination is, while making it easier than ever to access. We can defeat this virus together, but we're not out of the woods yet; and the more shots we get in arms, the closer we will be to normal life once again."
The pop-up site will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1, at GBUAHN, 1195 Main St., Buffalo.
This new pop-up site and the transportation vouchers provided by NFTA are part of New York's ongoing effort to improve accessibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this week, Cuomo announced all state mass-vaccination sites would open to eligible New Yorkers for walk-in vaccination on a first-come, first-served basis. The walk-in appointments are reserved for first doses only with second doses to be scheduled automatically after administration of the initial shot. Additionally, all vaccine providers are encouraged to likewise allow walk-in appointments and for eligible New Yorkers.
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said, "Over the last three weeks, we've seen COVID positivity rates increase in Western New York. Our region also has the lowest share of young people getting vaccinated statewide. This is a demographic that urgently needs the help. We are grateful to Gov. Cuomo for supporting local health care and community leaders as we seek to increase the numbers of vaccinated youth."
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, "While we are close to the end of this painful period in our lives – and we often say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel – we have to also continue to emphasize that we are not out of the woods yet and we can't take this lightly. These last three weeks, as you've heard, we've seen COVID positivity rates increase in Western New York, especially among our young people. We have got to stop and make sure COVID cannot make a resurgence in our community. The governor saw this and answered our call, and I thank him for his leadership in establishing these pop-up vaccination sites."
SUNY Trustee Eunice Lewin said, "Standing up mass vaccination sites like the Delavan-Grider Community Center here in Buffalo and pop-up vaccine sites at churches and community centers all over this state have made it possible for New Yorkers, including our heroic essential workers, to get the vaccine more conveniently. I'm grateful to Gov. Cuomo and the NFTA for taking a special effort to encourage young people to get the vaccine and for making available 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for this group and helping them access it. We learned early on that transportation was a challenge and the NFTA's day passes will help us address that."