COVID-19: 89,000 vaccinated in NYS

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced 89,000 New Yorkers have received the first COVID-19 vaccine dose to date, while 22,000 have received the first dose in 90 nursing home facilities as part of a federal-private partnership program.

The governor also announced that the New York State Department of Health authorized the use of extra doses that have been found in Moderna vaccine vials. The vials were previously believed to contain 10 doses, but may now contain up to 11 doses. DOH guidance on administering the extra doses is available here and a letter from Commissioner Howard Zucker is available here.

"I have one message for New Yorkers this holiday season: Celebrating smart stops shutdowns," Cuomo said. "We did not have that same post-Thanksgiving spike we saw elsewhere because we were more cautioned and more intelligent about it. The question is what happens through Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's. Do we stay as diligent? I don't believe we are destined for a shutdown – and I want to do everything we can to avoid one – but as I have been saying, that will be determined by our actions; and the next 10 days are going to be key for us. We have already been working with hospitals to ensure they have sufficient capacity and, to date, none have reported that they are close to being overwhelmed. Now it's on the rest of us to stay smart. If we all stay united and wear masks, socially distance and wash our hands, we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel."