FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: YONKERS MAYOR MIKE SPANO CALLS ON NEW YORK STATE TO OPEN YONKERS COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
YONKERS, NY – January 14, 2021 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today called on New York State to open a COVID-19 vaccine distribution center in Yonkers to handle the thousands of local residents who are eligible to receive it.
“Since Yonkers is the 4th largest city in the state and the largest in the Hudson Valley, it is imperative that we meet the vaccine needs of our region by opening an additional center in our city,” said Mayor Spano. “Positivity and hospitalization rates continue to rise here while appointments to obtain a vaccine are increasingly difficult to schedule. We can’t expect Westchester County Center alone to mass service most of those who live in the lower Hudson Valley. We need to expedite the vaccine to the areas where it’s needed most.”
Citing that Yonkers is the most densely populated area in the County and with the most cases, Mayor Spano added, “Three Yonkers zip codes were designated Yellow Zones by the State in November, proving we need to stem the tide of more cases. Our Yellow Zone mostly impacts our lower income communities, many of whom rely on public transportation, so traveling to the County Center for the vaccine comes even more burdensome. I ask our State health officials to consider Yonkers as one of the main hubs for vaccine distribution, especially as more residents become eligible for it.”
“Our collective goal is for all of us to gain herd immunity as we vaccinate more and more Americans – let Yonkers be a means to that goal so we can once again open up our schools, businesses and homes as they should,” stated Mayor Spano.
Suggested locations for vaccine distribution centers in Yonkers include the Yonkers Police Athletic League and Yonkers Public Libraries.
Since March 2020, over 17,000 Yonkers residents have contracted COVID-19.
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