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Jan. 15-Jan. 21, 2021
BOROUGH’S FIRST VACCINE HUB
OPENS AT HILLCREST HIGH SCHOOL
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Several COVID-19 vaccine
hubs have opened in the city
this week — with the first in
Queens established in Jamaica
— as part of the city’s efforts
to vaccinate all eligible New
Yorkers.
New York City’s Health Department
opened a hub at Hillcrest
High School, located at
160-05 Highland Ave., on Sunday,
Jan. 10.
The mass vaccination site
will be open seven days a week
from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and will
accept appointments online.
The hubs will start with the
capacity to vaccinate a total of
5,000 to 7,000 people per day.
“In order to get the vaccination
traffic we want, we
will need to build on-ramps,”
said Health Commissioner Dr.
Dave. A. Chokshi. “Facilities
like these will be a route to immunity
for thousands of New
Yorkers. We need more New
Yorkers to be eligible for the
vaccine in order to quicken the
pace of vaccination for the entire
city.”
Chokshi said starting this
week, the city will ramp up to
a total of 15 vaccine hubs, including
three more in Queens,
to serve over 100,000 New Yorkers
weekly. This will add to the
more than 125 vaccine locations
already up and running.
Three vaccine hubs opening
in Queens on Jan. 15 will
be located at August Martin
High School at 156-10 Baisley
Blvd., in Jamaica; Beach Channel
Educational Campus at
100-00 Beach Channel Drive in
Rockaway; and Aviation High
School at 45-30 36th St. in Long
Island City.
The hubs are operated by
Health Department staff and
Mayor Bill de Blasio visits a vaccination site at Hillcrest High School on Monday, Jan. 11.
trained volunteers through the
Medical Reserve Corps.
Before an appointment,
New Yorkers must complete the
NYS COVID-19 Vaccine Form
in order to get vaccinated. New
York state requires the provider
administering the vaccine to
check completion of the form.
Eligible New Yorkers will need
to bring proof of employment,
such as an employee ID card,
a letter from an employer or
affiliated organization, or a recent
pay stub.
The state currently has a
five-stage vaccination distribution
plan. New Yorkers who
are currently eligible for the
vaccine under 1A include highrisk
healthcare workers, staff
Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
and residents at long-term care
facilities and other frontline
staff in patient-facing roles.
Starting on Monday, Jan.
11, New Yorkers in 1B, which
includes first responders and
those ages 75 and older, are eligible
to make appointments.
More than 100,000 COVID-
19 vaccine doses were administered
in the city last week,
surpassing the city’s initial
goal, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
on Monday.
De Blasio visited Hillcrest
High School on Monday, and
was joined by Dr. Chokshi and
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards.
“After one vaccination
at Hillcrest High School in
Queens, a medical assistant
named Valeria Correa Gomez
told a reporter that she took
the vaccine to keep her friends
and family safe,” de Blasio
said during a press conference
on Monday. “It’s science, she
said. I trust science. I love science.
Valeria, I could not agree
more.”
There are currently more
than two dozen sites administering
the COVID-19 vaccine
to eligible New Yorkers in
Queens. Some of those sites include
Statcare at their Astoria,
Jackson Heights and Jamaica
locations.
The mayor announced
on Thursday, Jan. 7, that the
city is also considering using
Queens Theatre as a vaccination
site. In a statement following
the announcement, the
Queens Theatre said it is working
with officials to determine
logistics.
“We are proud that our facilities
in Flushing Meadows
Corona Park are being considered
to aid in ending the
coronavirus pandemic in New
York City,” the Queens Theatre
statement reads. “We embrace
the opportunity to support and
promote the health, safety and
recovery of our city and community
through this vaccination
effort. We look forward to
providing a welcoming, accessible
space where eligible New
Yorkers will be able to go to get
the free, safe and easy COVID-
19 vaccine.”
On Friday, Jan. 8, the mayor
announced five more sites,
specifically for the city’s frontline
workers, will open in each
borough in anticipation of Gov.
Andrew Cuomo’s approval of
phase 1B.
In Queens, that site will
be open at John Adams High
School at 01-01 Rockaway Blvd.
in Ozone Park.
The Health Department has
established the NYC COVID-19
Vaccine Finder for New Yorkers
to search for nearby locations
that are currently administering
the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Vaccine Finder is a onestop
shop where eligible New
Yorkers can find the closest
vaccine provider to them and
book an appointment with one
click of a button,” said de Blasio.
“That means the COVID-19
will be safe, free and easy to
get for all New Yorkers. If you
are eligible, please call 877-
VAX-4NYC or visit nyc.gov/
VaccineFinder to reserve your
appointment today.”
Vol. 9 No. 3 24 total pages
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