4 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 27, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Centers Urgent Care to continue supplying COVID-19 vaccines
at Bayside center following allegations of ‘over diluting’
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@schnepsmedia.com
@jenna_bagcal
A New York City-based health company
confi rmed that it will continue to administer
COVID-19 vaccines at the Korean
Community Services (KCS) Center in
Bayside following allegations that employees
were told to “over dilute” 16,000 doses
of the Pfi zer vaccine.
In an exclusive story for CBS, ex-Centers
Urgent Care employee Andrew
Palazzo said that the company’s CEO
Scott Orlanski gave instructions for
employees to put up to 2.0 mL of diluent
into vials of the Pfi zer vaccine in order “to
obtain at least seven doses per vial.”
According to regulations from the FDA,
each vial of the Pfi zer vaccine contains
0.45 mL, which is about six doses that
requires thawing and dilution prior to
administration. Th e guidelines go on to
say that administrators should use no
more than 1.8 mL of 0.9 percent sodium
chloride for dilution, which is more
than Orlanski allegedly advised Palazzo
to put in.
Despite the allegations, Centers Urgent
Care, which has a nearby location in
Middle Village, said they would continue
to supply vaccines to the Bayside site.
“Centers Urgent Care is open for business
at the Korean Community Services
site. Although we cannot comment on
the allegations since the matter is pending
litigation, the city continues to back
Centers Urgent Care aft er an onsite investigation
was conducted by the Department of
Health,” spokesperson Jeff Jacomowitz said.
Centers Urgent Care began administering
Pfi zer vaccines at KCS, fi rst as a
popup location in February 2020 and
then permanently beginning in March
2020. Palazzo said that about 16,000 doses
of the vaccines were over diluted when
he worked there from March until he
was fi red in May 2020, according to the
CBS report. Th e ex-employee fi led a lawsuit
against his former employer for lost
wages.
Other employees anonymously told
CBS they “threatened to quit” if they were
forced to continue over diluting the vaccines
but Dr. Josef Schenker, medical
director and owner of Centers, said they
“never advised anybody to over dilute
anything.”
A spokesperson from the city’s
Department of Health (DOH) confi rmed
that senior staff ers carried out an “unannounced
visit” to KCS following the allegations.
“We hold all of our providers to the
highest possible standard, and the city
regularly visits vaccine sites to ensure
that all safety and health protocols are
followed. Any allegations that best practices
are not observed are closely scrutinized
– which is what has happened here,”
said DOH spokesperson Patrick Gallahue.
“Senior city staff have carried out an
unannounced site visit, checked the vaccine,
interviewed staff and observed processes.
To date, no major issues have
been identifi ed, however, we’ll continue
to ensure that best practices are followed
wherever vaccine is administered.”
Asian man pushed onto subway tracks in LIC: NYPD
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
An Asian man was pushed toward
train tracks at a Long Island City subway
station by an unidentifi ed man Monday
morning, May 24, and the NYPD is
investigating it as a possible hate crime.
A 35-year-old Asian man was standing
at the 21 Street−Queensbridge F
train platform at about 7:43 a.m. on
Monday, May 24, when suddenly he
was approached by an unknown man,
according to police.
The unidentified man said something
reportedly incomprehensible and then
shoved the 35-year-old man onto the
southbound tracks, authorities say.
Passengers who were at the station
helped the man out of the tracks, police
say, but the mansustained a deep cut
to his forehead and was transported
by EMS to nearby Mount Sinai Queens
Hospital in stable condition, according
to police.
The unidentified individual then ran
out of the station to the street and fled
in an unknown direction, police say.
He is described as 6 feet tall and in his
20s or 30s and was last seen wearing a
black mask, black hoodie, black pants
and black shoes.
No arrests have been made and the
investigation is ongoing.
An NYPD spokesperson said the Hate
Crimes Task Force is investigating the
incident as a possible bias incident.
The incident took place amid a rise of
anti-Asian hate crimes across New York
City and the country, as well as concerns
over safety in the MTA system.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement
regarding the assault, saying he
was “disgusted” to learn of the incident.
“As police search for the suspect
responsible for this horrendous attack, I
am directing the New York State Police
Hate Crimes Task Force to offer their
assistance in the investigation,” Cuomo
said. “Hate and violence have no place
in New York — period. We will not let
bigotry and cowardly acts of violence
divide us. Instead, we will continue to
stand united against hate in all its forms
and celebrate our state’s diversity.”
Queens Borough President Donovan
Richards echoed Cuomo’s statement
while addressing the incident on
Twitter.
“So relieved that an innocent life was
not lost this morning, but we cannot
stay silent while our neighbors endure
horrific acts like this,” Richards said.
“Let’s call out hate wherever we see it
and recommit to creating a borough
free of bigotry. Enough is enough.”
Anyone with information in regard
to the identity of the suspects is asked
to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers
Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for
Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The
public can also submit their tips by logging
onto the CrimeStoppers website at
nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter
@NYPDTips.
Photo by Dado Ruvic/REUTERS
Photo courtesy of NYPD
Police are searching for the suspect who allegedly pushed an Asian man onto the tracks in Long
Island City.
/nypdcrimestoppers.com
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
