WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES APRIL 15, 2021 5
City opens vaccine center at Queens Center Mall
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
A new vaccine site opened at the
Queens Center Mall on Monday,
April 12, as local elected
offi cials continue call for more sites
in certain neighborhoods they say are
lacking vaccine accessibility in central
Queens.
The city-run site is located at the
former Modell’s location at 58-56 92nd
St. in Elmhurst, according to the city’s
vaccine fi nder site. It will be open to
the general public Monday through
Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The site was originally set to administer
the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,
but the city has stopped administering
the shot as of Tuesday, April 13,
in accordance to CDC and federal
guidelines. A city spokesperson said
they are working to reschedule appointments
to offer Moderna and
Pfi zer vaccines to the best of their
ability instead.
All New York adults are now eligible
for the vaccine, and can search
for appointments by calling 877-829-
4692 or by visiting www.nyc.gov/
VaccineFinder.
On Monday aft ernoon, the site appeared
to have a steady yet relatively
slow stream of people waiting to get
their vaccine.
The new site comes as Congresswoman
Grace Meng, along with
multiple local lawmakers, wrote a
letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and
Mayor Bill de Blasio urging them to
establish a mass vaccination site that
would specifi cally serve Middle Village,
Maspeth, Glendale, and parts of
Ridgewood and Woodhaven.
“We have heard from many local
stakeholders regarding vaccine access
issues for communities west of
Woodhaven Boulevard,” the letter
read. “Due to the limited number of
vaccination sites in this area, we are
urging your offi ce to establish a mass
vaccination site in this underrepresented
region of Queens County.”
State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.,
Assembly members Catherine Nolan,
Jenifer Rajkumar and Brian Barnwell,
and Councilman Robert Holden all
signed on to the letter.
In response to the lawmaker’s calls,
Avery Cohen, a spokesperson at the
mayor’s offi ce, said the city is working
to get shots in arms.
“With more sites opening every day,
we’re doing all we can to vaccinate our
Queens neighbors as quickly as possible,”
Cohen said. “From pop-up sites
to vaccinations for homebound New
Yorkers, we will not stop until there
is a shot in the arm of every person
across our city.”
As of Monday, 34 percent of Queens
residents have received at least one
vaccine compared to 33 percent of
city’s total population, according
to city data. City offi cials pointed to
Middle Village’s 34 percent vaccination
rate for at least one dose, which
is above the citywide average, and
noted there are upwards of 12 sites in
the area.
Maspeth, Glendale, parts of Ridgewood
and Woodhaven also currently
have vaccination rates above the
citywide average, according to the
latest city data. However, those neighborhoods’
rates are much lower when
compared to some parts of northeastern
and northwestern Queens, where
elected offi cials have fought to get
more vaccine sites.
Holden, who has been pushing for
more vaccine access in the Council’s
30th District, said the new site at the
mall is a “big step in the right direction,”
but it’s not enough.
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
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