Workers At New Islanders Arena To Be Vaccinated, Cuomo Says

BELMONT, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that workers at the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, who are building the new arena for the Islanders, will be given coronavirus vaccines at their worksite starting today.

Northwell Health has set aside 900 doses for workers at the site, and will begin vaccinations this afternoon, Cuomo said. They will be inoculating 50 people per day. Vaccinations will be done at the site six days a week until May 1, and then three days a week after. The vaccinations will continue on a rolling basis until all the workers at Belmont are vaccinated.

"The transformative Belmont Park Redevelopment Project will revitalize an area, create new jobs and provide a permanent Long Island home for the New York Islanders, and it's important that our local workers are safe as they build this critical project for New York's future during a pandemic," Cuomo said. "We're glad to announce that workers from the site will be vaccinated, and I thank Northwell Health for its tireless efforts for these workers and so many others throughout this incredibly difficult time. The pandemic doesn't have to hinder construction and development, but it's vitally important to keep everyone as safe as possible as they conduct work that will be an important part of New York's post-COVID future."

The UBS Arena at Belmont Park will be the new home of the Islanders, and is scheduled to open this fall with the 2021-22 season. It's the centerpiece of the $1.3 billion Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, which also includes a hotel, office space and a retail village. In addition, the MTA will construct a new LIRR station at Elmont, which will be the first new, full-time station built in decades.

Construction work on the arena was delayed for two months last spring when the pandemic first began, but is now back on schedule, officials say.

"Bringing the vaccines to the laborers building the new UBS Arena will make it easier for them to protect themselves, their coworkers, their families, their neighbors and their communities," said Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling. "Northwell is honored to be working with the governor, the union leadership and the Islanders in expanding our vaccination efforts to these front-line workers."