4 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 14, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Borough’s fi rst vaccine hub opens in Jamaica
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Several COVID-19 vaccine hubs have
opened in the city this week — with the
fi rst in Queens established in Jamaica —
as part of the city’s eff orts 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.
Th e mass vaccination site will be open
seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
and will accept appointments online. Th e
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 traffi c
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. Th is
will add to the more than 125 vaccine
locations already up and running.
Th ree 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.
Th e hubs are operated by Health
Department staff and 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 affi liated organization, or
a recent pay stub.
Th e state currently has a fi ve-stage vaccination
distribution plan. New Yorkers
who are currently eligible for the vaccine
under 1A include high-risk healthcare
workers, staff 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 fi rst
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.
“Aft er 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
Photo by Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
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.”
Th ere 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.
On Friday, Jan. 8, the mayor announced
fi ve more sites, specifi cally 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.
Trump impeached following incitement of Capitol attack
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI AND JACOB
KAYE
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
For the second time in his presidency,
Donald Trump has been impeached by
the U.S. House of Representatives — this
time, for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the
U.S. Capitol by an angry mob of his supporters.
It is the fi rst time in American history
that any president has been impeached
twice during their term.
Th e article of impeachment — supported
by all Democrats and a handful
of Republicans on Wednesday, Jan.
13 — alleges that Trump had spurred
the insurrection upon the Capitol a week
ago, in which thousands of his supporters
breached the heart of American democracy,
smashing windows, vandalizing
property and getting into physical clashes
with Capitol Police offi cers. Five people,
including a Capitol Police offi cer, died
as a result.
Eleven of New York City’s 12 members
of Congress voted to impeach the president
again; the lone holdout was Nicole
Malliotakis of Brooklyn/Staten Island, the
only Republican in the city’s delegation.
All of Queens’ congressional delegation
voted in favor of impeachment.
“President Trump instigated this and
must be held accountable,” Congressman
Tom Suozzi said in a statement following
the vote. “Th e president’s duty is to protect
our republic and its people. Yet, he built a
mob, fi lled it with lies, and encouraged it
to ‘fi ght to stop the steal.’”
“Mr. President, you have not put
America fi rst and now you must be
removed,” he added.
Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was
holed up in her offi ce during the raid,
echoed her colleague’s sentiments.
“As I said last week, President Trump
is a danger to our nation,” Meng said.
“Th e president must be held accountable
for fueling a seditious assault on the
U.S. Capitol, and failing to take steps to
stop the violence. He is a vital threat to
our country and our Constitution. For
the good and safety of our nation, and
to defend our democracy, it is imperative
that President Trump is removed
from offi ce at once and barred from holding
public offi ce in the future. Th e Senate
must now act expeditiously.”
Th e approved article now goes to the
Senate for a trial. It’s unclear whether that
will happen before Trump leaves offi ce at
noon on Jan. 20.
Two-thirds of the vote of the assembled
Senate are required to convict an
offi cial on an article of impeachment. A
guilty verdict on this impeachment article
would result in Trump being disqualifi
ed from holding public offi ce in the
future.
File photo by REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
/WWW.QNS.COM
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