Elected officials aghast at disproportionate
vaccine distribution throughout New York City
BY MARK HALLUM
White: 48%. Black: 15%. Latino:
15%. Asian: 11%.
Those were the demographic
data released on the vaccination rates in the
city among ethnic groups, raising the ire of
a number of elected offi cials who believed
that a month and a half into the effort there
were too many barriers for too many New
Yorkers.
Though enraged, none were truly
surprised with some having called for
an equitable rollout of the vaccine since
doses began arriving in New York in
mid-December.
“For weeks, I have called for the city
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
to release the racial demographic
data in real time on who is receiving the
COVID-19 vaccine — and now that we
fi nally have it, it is exactly what we feared,”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams
said. “The failure to administer this vaccine
to the populations in greatest need, communities
that have suffered the most from
the inequitable impact of the pandemic, is
a stain on City Hall’s reputation that won’t
soon be erased.”
Adams suggested expediting more of
the next available doses of the vaccine into
high-risk communities of color, adopting
A healthcare worker prepares a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at Queens
Police Academy in the Queens borough of New York, U.S., Jan. 11, 2021.
a plan proposed in recent legislation that
would give local health departments authority
to prioritize their own communities,
and strictly barring people who live outside
the fi ve boroughs from going to facilities
within city limits.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer held
a press conference following the data release
on Sunday morning, stating that he
requested the city provide transparency on
vaccine rollout that refl ected the fact that
communities of color suffered disproportionately
in the spring during the height of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Look, I understand full well that this
PHOTO BY JEENAH MOON/POOL VIA REUTERS
virus was a surprise. And the testing was
slowly ramped up, and a lot of the beginning
of this was really diffi cult. But we
knew this vaccine was coming, almost since
the onset of the virus. We had many, many
months to plan, we had many opportunities
to put resources in the communities
we know we’re going to be slow to get this
vaccination,” Stringer said.
Stringer also recommended restricting
access to the vaccine to those living outside
of New York City and instead increasing
outreach efforts to people in the communities
where distribution is happening.
Mayor Bill de Blasio made the
commitment to expand the task force,
Vaccine for All, designed to bring the vaccine
to underserved communities that will
target 33 neighborhoods.
“Discrimination goes even harder in
effect at the places that have suffered the
most historically and where there’s the
greatest problems like lack of health care,”
de Blasio said Sunday in a press conference.
“But we know where the most suffering
has been, we know where the most deaths
have been. We know where the greatest
lack of health care has been historically, in
a certain group of neighborhoods immigrant
communities communities of people
of color, that bore the brunt of this crisis.”
But Public Advocate Jumaane Williams,
at the same time that the mayor released the
plan to expand the task force, had heard
enough talking on the subject. The data
only showed an “abject failure” on the part
of the mayoral administration.
“I don’t want to hear about a task force
again, I don’t want to hear about it. We’re
starting to think about planning. We had
almost a year to think about this, we
defi nitely have six to eight months to think
about it. There was no problem that’s being
pointed out today that we didn’t know
about eight months ago,” Williams said.
“The hardest hit communities should have
the hardest hit responses.”
Diners, restaurants rejoice: NYC Restaurant
Week extended through end of February
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Due to popular demand, NYC
Restaurant Week To Go will be
extended to the end of February.
When fi rst announced, NYC Restaurant
Week To Go was slated to last citywide
from Jan. 25-31 with the option to offer the
discounts the following week, Feb. 1-7. Due
to high levels of success, NYC & Company
announced that the annual event will be
extended to last through Feb. 28, allowing
New Yorkers to support hundreds of local
restaurants.
“Due to the high consumer demand
for NYCRestaurant WeekTo Go, we have
decided to extend the program for an
additional four weeks sothat even more
restaurants citywide can feed New Yorkers
hungry for good food and eager to support
their neighborhood eateries. It is a true
testament to the program’s success that
New Yorkers continue to show support for
their city and the restaurant sector, which
has always been the backbone of the City’s
economy,” said Fred Dixon, President and
CEO of NYC & Company.
Restaurants that are participating in
NYC Restaurant Week To Go will provide
those ordering takeout or delivery with an
entrée and at least one side for lunch and/or
dinner for the price of $20.21, which is set
FILE PHOTO
specifi cally to celebrate the new year. Tax,
delivery fees and gratuity are additional to
the restaurant meal price.
Mastercard will continue to serve as a
program sponsor and will provide registered
cardholders with a $10 statement
credit on each transaction of $20.21
or more at participating restaurants.
Diners can receive credit for up to 10
transactions total or until a $100 credit
limit is reached (whichever occurs fi rst).
Consumers can easily register their
Mastercard and view full terms and
conditions at MCAllinNYC.comand start
rediscovering NYC.
So far, 570 restaurants from across the
city have signed on to participate, breaking
records dating back to the fi rst New York
City Restaurant Week in 1992. To see all
participating restaurants, visit nycgo.com/
restaurantweek.
Restaurants interested in being a part
of the program for the weeks of Feb. 8, 15
and 22 should register at this link no later
than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2: business.
nycgo.com/nyc-restaurant-week-to-goparticipation
form. NYC & Company has
waived participation fees for this program
so as to help the industry in this dire time
and simultaneously celebrate the City’s
continuing role as the dining capital of the
world.
18 February 4, 2021 Schneps Media
/MCAllinNYC.com
/nycgo.com
/nycgo.com
