Mar 15, 2021
- Today I was happy to announce three new mass vaccination sites are coming to Long Island. The sites, located in Brentwood, Old Westbury and Southampton, will open this Friday, March 19. All three sites will have the ability to vaccinate more than one thousand New Yorkers daily dependent on supply from the federal government. Appointments become available for booking Wednesday, March 17, at 8:00am and can be made through the Am I Eligible Tool or by calling the NYS COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). New York will continue to expand our distribution network and vaccinate more New Yorkers as supply ramps up further.
Photo of the Day: At the new SUNY Old Westbury mass vaccination site opening on Friday, I presented members of the National Guard with NYS Challenge Coins
(Photo by Kevin Coughlin)
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
1. COVID hospitalizations rose slightly to 4,517. Of the 127,005 tests reported yesterday, 5,807, or 4.57 percent, were positive. There were 923 patients in ICU yesterday, down four from the previous day. Of them, 614 are intubated. Sadly, we lost 58 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. As of 11am this morning, 22.5 percent of New Yorkers have completed at least one vaccine dose. Over the past 24 hours, 122,778 total doses have been administered. To date, New York administered 6,699,848 total doses with 11.6 percent of New Yorkers completing their vaccine series. See data by region and county on the State's Vaccine Tracker: ny.gov/vaccinetracker.
3. The Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach will return this year on Memorial Day weekend. The outdoor show, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, features a range of military and civilian aerial performers. This year's show will be a ticketed event, with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place to ensure a safe return of the patriotic Long Island tradition.
4. Wedding receptions and catered events can now resume statewide at limited capacity. All venues hosting weddings and catered events must follow the State's health and safety protocols. More information on the industry guidelines can be found here.
5. Excelsior Pass is coming soon. Earlier this month, New York announced a pilot program with Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center to test Excelsior Pass—a free, fast and secure way to present digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results at businesses or venues. New York is now testing Excelsior Pass with select "Beta" participants. If you are interested in being a "Beta" tester and helping New York safely reopen, fill out this screening form and you may be selected to be among the first to get a look at Excelsior Pass.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": A missing baby kangaroo was safely returned home thanks to a community coming together. Stokoe Farms in Scottsville, NY, is known for Christmas trees and pumpkin patches but also cares for kangaroos. One of their young kangaroos (or joeys), Kaia, recently escaped her handler, but thanks to the efforts of a group of volunteers who organized a search, the joey was found and returned safely to the farm's care.
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