Cuomo On Coronavirus Vaccine: 'There Will Be Distrust'

LONG ISLAND, NY — On Day 229 of the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said with the arrival of fall and the uptick of cases, it's important to think ahead to when a vaccine becomes available — and be ready.

"It's very important that we start to think ahead," he said. "When you are dealing with COVID, it's not checkers, it's chess."

With the onset of fall, the next step, Cuomo said, "is dealing with a vaccine. We all hope and pray the vaccine comes sooner than later."

The first question, he said, will center on if the American people trust the vaccine. Government officials have anticipated possible concerns and convened a committee of professionals to review the "protocols and efficacy" of a vaccine, he said. "If that committee tells me the vaccine is safe, I will tell the people the vaccine is safe," Cuomo said.

However, he added: "I do believe there will be distrust about this vaccine." Cuomo said he thinks there is a general sense of distrust with the federal administration because of their position on science, he said.

Once the vaccine is released and people think it's safe and are willing to have it administered, Cuomo said the next step is outlining the logistics of vaccinating 20 million people in New York quickly and safely.

"And how do you do vaccinations all across the country?" he asked.

Government, Cuomo added, "does not do these large, operational, complex functions easily or well. It's not as simple as just saying to government officials: 'Administer it.' The federal government has shown that it doesn't have the operational capacity to do these things."

That's why, when the pandemic first began, the federal government delegated responsibility to the states, which weren't in the position to procure personal protective equipment, Cuomo said.

New York, he added, wasn't in the position to manage a private hospital system or do hundreds of thousands of tests per day.

In the beginning, only 500 tests were administered by the New York State Department of Health per day; now, more than 100,000 are given daily, he said.

Cuomo, the chairman this year of the National Governors Association, said the organization is sending a letter to President Donald Trump Thursday asking for guidance and clarification regarding the role of states in the vaccination process, as well as a delineation of responsibilities.

Vaccinating residents across the country, Cuomo said, "is a massive, monumental undertaking. If you listen to the White House, it could be just a matter of weeks away. And I'm telling you, there is no simple answer."

There will be anti-vaxxers, Cuomo said, who will not want to take the vaccine; questions will arise on how to deal with that issue.

The letter, Cuomo said, will be sent Thursday. "I hope we get a response," he said. "It's clear the states won't be able to do this on their own."

He added: "The virus has been ahead of us every step of the way and it's about time this country catches up."

On Thursday, the rate of infection in the high-risk, or "red," zones stood at 4.84 percent; the statewide rate of infection was 1.09 percent, Cuomo said.

Thirteen people died of the coronavirus in the most recent update provided by state officials. Hospitalizations were down 41 to 897, with 197 in intensive care units and 95 intubated, Cuomo said.