Editorial
Turn to the polls to vaccinate NYC
How do you solve a problem like
administering two doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine to 8 million
New Yorkers?
Here’s one idea: Look to the polling places
generally used for elections.
Every November, more than 14,000 designated
polling sites across New York City
welcome voters to cast their ballots. These
sites are located in all kinds of venues —
public schools, community centers, libraries,
government offi ces, even sports arenas.
While mass vaccination sites and other distribution
points are being established across
the city, utilizing the 14,000 polling sites for
a vaccination campaign in the spring might be
worth consideration.
We’re not yet at the point where all 8
million of us can be vaccinated immediately.
Moderna and Pfi zer’s just-approved vaccines
remain available in limited numbers, though
production is continuing.
That all could change in February, however,
if the FDA gives emergency approval to Johnson
& Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, which
(unlike the Moderna and Pfi zer versions) only
requires one dose per individual.
With three available vaccines by the spring,
millions of doses should be made available to
New York to protect every person from COVID
19. By that point, thousands of New Yorkers
should already have been vaccinated. The effort
will then concentrate on covering everyone else.
The easiest thing for the city to do would be
to establish vaccination sites at polling places,
most of which are within walking distance or a
short ride away. The city would need to recruit
and train an army of healthcare professionals
and other volunteers to administer the vaccines.
Nothing about this plan is very complex
or new. In fact, as Manhattan City Council
Member Mark Levine recently pointed out,
we’ve done it before.
A sudden smallpox outbreak in 1947 propelled
the city into embarking upon a mass vaccination
effort that April. Within about a month,
the city was able to provide the smallpox vaccine
to all of its residents and put an end to a virus
outbreak — utilizing thousands of healthcare
workers and city employees stationed at dozens
of vaccination sites across the fi ve boroughs.
While essential workers and frontline health
care professionals should continue to receive
fi rst preference to get the available vaccines
now, the city must make sure its plan to vaccine
the rest of us is as effective and swift as possible.
The faster we vaccinate, the faster we can
recover from COVID-19.
Op-ed
The fight against
COVID-19 – in the
palm of your hand
BY TOM WRIGHT AND VANESSA
BARRIOS
On edge. Holding our breath. This is
the state of millions of Americans
across the country as front line
workers and the elderly receive the fi rst
COVID-19 vaccines. With each needle
poke in the arm, we are one step closer to
the end of this pandemic.
It is, however, no excuse to let our
guard down. Our top health experts say
this winter will be bleak, adding it could
be months before most of the general public
receives a vaccine. What we do to continue
fi ghting this virus in 2021 will be absolutely
crucial for the region’s recovery – and will
determine the place New York City holds
on the world stage for years to come.
We already know several simple strategies
that work – social distancing, wearing
a face covering, frequent hand-washing and
routine testing. There is an even simpler
tool, however, that can add a critical layer
of support as we hang on in these winter
months: the COVID Alert apps in New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Released in October thanks to a rare
collaboration by Apple and Google, the
app is an invisible shield that protects you
right from the palm of your hand, pocket
or bag. It sends an alert if you were in close
contact with someone who tests positive
for COVID-19. Knowing about potential
exposure means you can take action – including
self-quarantining, getting tested and
reducing potential exposure to your family,
friends, neighbors, co-workers and others.
The apps use bluetooth technology and
not GPS tracking, meaning users remain
completely anonymous because no data is
being collected. Also, the power is literally
in the hands of each user – anyone who
downloads the app has full control over
uploading their personal information and
receiving notifi cations. No one should ever
have to choose between privacy and their
health. This app ensures users don’t have
to make that choice.
There is one nuance that comes with
the COVID-19 app – it’s only as effective
as the number of people who download
it. In the United States alone, about 96%
of people own a cellphone. Of this group,
81% of them own a smartphone. That
means almost everyone in this country has
the power to protect themselves and their
loved ones just by downloading an app. But
in New York, download numbers have been
low and consequently so have the number
of alerts sent to potentially exposed users.
We are living through one of the most
signifi cant periods in the history of our
civilization. These next few months are
critically important in determining how we
will come out of this crisis. Our tri-state
area accounts for 10% of the country’s
economy, and its recovery impacts more
than just those who call this city home.
Taking a minute to download COVID
Alert NY, COVID Alert NJ or COVID
Alert CT onto your phone depending on
your home state – then letting your friends
and family members know to do the same –
will help New York maintain its status as an
economic driver for the state and country.
Wright is President and CEO at Regional
Plan Association. Barrios is Senior Associate
for State Programs and Advocacy at
Regional Plan Association.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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