New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that President Biden’s plan to ramp up distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine was “not enough,” as the Empire State faces a shortage of doses.
Biden announced on Tuesday night that the U.S. government will increase vaccine distributions by around 15% to 16% per week, though Cuomo noted that because New York is efficient at administering its doses, that jump is unlikely to make much of a difference.
“Is 16 percent going to make the difference for those states that can administer the vaccines at a higher rate? No,” Cuomo said during an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday.
Cuomo told the outlet that his state “is basically out of vaccine today – we’re functionally out.”
New York State has administered 1.2 million first doses, or 93% of the doses it has received.
NY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR CUOMO SAYS SOME COVID RESTRICTIONS MAY BE LIFTED IMMINENTLY
The Democratic governor, who is also chair of the National Governors Association, said the administration’s plan was a step in the right direction – adding that he is pleased he will be able to tell distributors what they can expect for a three-week period owing to a promised, “reliable” schedule.
The problem, Cuomo said, is supply of the doses, which is not controlled by the federal government, but rather by Pfizer and Moderna.
The federal government expects to formally announce the purchase of another 200 million cumulative doses from Pfizer and Moderna soon, which are expected to be delivered in the summer.
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As previously reported by Fox News, on Monday Cuomo said he intended to officially announce loosening restrictions in the state owing to a flattening of the holiday-related surge in cases.
Indoor dining in New York City, however, is not expected to be affected by forthcoming announcements this week.
On Tuesday, the governor’s office reported total hospitalizations at 8,831 and a 6.79% positivity rate.
