US states are currently in the process of distributing COVID-19 vaccines. However, New York is hitting snags in its vaccine rollout, and hospitals in New York City have only distributed about a third of the doses they’ve received.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday blamed the slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout on local leaders, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and threatened to fine hospitals that don’t distribute vaccines fast enough up to $100,000.
“We need the public officials to manage those public hospitals,” Cuomo said, noting that vaccine distribution points like New York City’s Health and Hospitals system have been slow to administer vaccines.
According to Cuomo, New York State’s 194 hospitals have received 46% of their vaccine allocation. Figures by the US Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) also show that New York has received an allocation of 895,925 vaccines and has administered first doses to only 274,713 people – meaning roughly 30% of available doses have been given out.
“I need those public officials to step in and manage those systems. You have the allocation; we want it in people’s arms as soon as possible,” he added.
When asked whether strict enforcement of vaccine prioritization has contributed to the slow rollout, Cuomo said that there is “no one cause” of delays.
“The federal government sent guidance on prioritization of who should receive the first vaccines. We agreed with the federal prioritization on the top priority… it’s all health care workers who come in contact with the public … because they’re most likely to be infected,” Cuomo noted, adding that the only excuses he’s heard from hospitals regarding the delays are “bureaucracy and their own administration,”.
To incentivize local distributors like Health and Hospitals to quickly distribute the vaccines, the state Department of Health on Sunday told distributors that they could face fines of up to $100,000 if they haven’t used up their current vaccine stocks by the end of the week. In addition, from now on, providers must use all vaccines within seven days of receiving them or face additional fines and risk not receiving future vaccine shipments, the New York Post reported.
So far, health care workers and those who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines.
The concern about vaccination rollout in the state has increased due to the identification of a more contagious variant of COVID-19 in the UK. Cuomo confirmed on Monday that a case of the new strain had been found in New York.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
