NY Vaccine Eligibility Expands To People 60+, Public Workers

LONG ISLAND, NY — With coronavirus vaccine shipments amping up, New York has expanded eligibility to people 60 and over and public-facing workers.

The age limit will drop from 65 to 60 beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On March 17, eligibility will open to public-facing government and public employees; not-for-profit workers who provide public-facing services to New Yorkers in need; and essential in-person public-facing building service workers.

The new guidance includes workers such as public works employees, social service and child service caseworkers, government inspectors, sanitation workers, DMV workers, county clerks, building service workers, and election workers, Cuomo said.

"These are our everyday heroes," Cuomo said. "They are out there doing the job, putting themselves in the possible position of exposure."

In addition, beginning March 17, anyone who is eligible for the vaccination can receive their dosage at any vaccination site — except pharmacies, which will still only vaccinate those 60 and older and teachers, Cuomo said.

Cuomo again called for the fair distribution of the vaccine, with a focus on Black, Hispanic and Asian communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the virus. Work needs to continue to address trust and hesitancy issues in those communities, he said.

"Nobody says, 'Wait for the enemy to destroy us,'" Cuomo said. "We have to go out there and crush them with this vaccine, but we have to take it."