Mar 5, 2021
- New York officially deployed the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine as of last night. We began administering the single-dose vaccine during the overnight hours at Yankee Stadium for eligible Bronx residents and continued today at the State's new short-term mass vaccination sites upstate. We will add to this effort with overnight hours at the Javits Center and the New York State Fairgrounds starting tonight. There are over 12 million New Yorkers eligible for the vaccines so while this third COVID vaccine ramps up our efforts, we ask New Yorkers to be patient as we wait for more supply from the federal government. It's crucial that we keep doing what we know stops the spread of the virus. COVID is still a threat to our communities. That means each of us needs to wear a mask, social distance and wash our hands. We'll beat this thing—it's only a matter of time and diligence.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. COVID hospitalizations dropped to 5,034. Of the 295,935 tests reported yesterday, 8,956, or 3.02 percent, were positive. There were 1,030 patients in ICU yesterday, down 13 from the previous day. Of them, 700 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 94 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. As of 11am today, 95 percent of first doses allocated to the state have been administered. This represents 3,371,537 first doses administered of the 3,558,980 first dose allocations received from the federal government. So far, 5,143,219 total doses have been administered out of the 5,756,800 total doses received. See data by region and county on the State's Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker.
3. Appointments are still available during overnight hours for eligible Bronx residents at Yankee Stadium. In a pilot program, Yankee Stadium will be administering the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine during overnight hours at the site. If you are an eligible Bronx resident, schedule an appointment.
4. To date, New York has conducted over 39 million COVID tests. That's more than twice the population of New York State. Getting tested for COVID regularly is still an excellent way to ensure your health and the health of those around you. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID or believe you may have been exposed to the virus, get tested. Find a testing site near you. You can also call 1-888-364-3065 to make a free appointment at a New York State-run testing location.
5. Vaccine appointments are still available at several state-run vaccination sites. Checking your eligibility takes only a minute. Use the State's Am I Eligible Tool to see if you can get the COVID vaccine and then schedule an appointment.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": While deer and pigeons may be common sightings in the Empire State, a goat is more unusual—especially in New York City. Dubbed Billy the Goat, the lost animal was found walking along the side of a highway in Queens by a good Samaritan. While it's still unknown where Billy came from or how he ended up on a highway in Queens, the goat was brought to the 63rd Precinct in Brooklyn. The precinct shared some photos of Billy receiving care at the precinct on social media and now the goat is at the NYC Animal Care Center in good hands.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State's Coronavirus Updates