NYers flock to Washington Heights for vaccine hunting

Seekers of the COVID-19 vaccine flocked to Washington Heights on Wednesday, hit hard from all over the city and state, in search of shots, including a couple taken away in a limousine.

Fort Washington Armory in Upper Manhattan, which has been transformed into a vaccination site depending on the location of the nearby New York Presbyterian Hospital, was one of the few urban vaccination sites still in operation this week. Extensive shortage of shots..

But As the city reported on TuesdayMany of the people who appeared in the jab from outside the devastated neighborhood were short of Spanish-speaking staff at the time, helping mainly Hispanic locals.

The post encountered Spanish-speaking workers on Wednesday, but the former trend continued.

“We were relieved,” said Carroll, an elderly woman who traveled from the Upper East Side to jab with her husband. “We’re trying to book for two months. It’s crazy.”

Carol, who did not reveal her surname, and her husband, who did not reveal their identity at all, were picked up by a black Cadillac limousine after their appointment. The driver was towing a little dog and waiting.

When asked if he felt the vaccine was being distributed fairly, Carroll’s husband said with a laugh, “You have to fight for it.”

NewYork-Presbyterian announced late Wednesday that reservations on the site would only be made to New York City residents, following anger at the news that outsiders would be arrested. At least 60% is reserved for residents of Washington Heights, Inwood, and the north. Central Harlem and South Bronx. All existing appointments will continue to be respected.

Earlier that day, Min Ye would drive from northern Schoharie County for about three hours to allow mothers (78) and fathers (80) to be vaccinated after booking online the day before. Did.

She explained that her parents have an apartment in Midtown, Manhattan, but temporarily live in the north of her.

“They just live in the north. They still have their apartment,” she said. “We also feel that we are part of this community.”

Judy Stevens, 76, said Big Apple is one big community and defended a trip from the Upper West Side for vaccines.

“This is New York City. For me, you give it to everyone who needs it. People here can ride a computer like everyone else,” she said. Stevens, who made an appointment at the hospital early Wednesday, said. “We’re all in one place, but don’t separate them. We’re all in the city of New York. We’re all inhabitants.”

Erica Smith brought an 88-year-old mother with a pacemaker for the vaccine.

“I told them about my mother’s heart condition, and they told me to take her right,” Smith said, referring to hospital workers.

Smith, who lives in Washington Heights with his mother, said it’s okay for outsiders to come to the jab.

“It’s in good health, so why do you just want to help people? [your] neighborhood? “She asked.

The mayor, however, blew up the practice during Wednesday morning press conference..

“I’m really worried about what I’m listening to,” said De Blasio. “Here we have a site in the middle of a very devastated area. It’s mainly an immigrant community and one of the places that has been struck by the COVID crisis, the Latin community.

“I want the Columbia Presbyterian Church to do everything it can to reach the surrounding community,” he continued. “It should be a duty. It should be its center, the focus of the period. There are many periods in the community that want a vaccine.”

Hitsoner further stated that vaccination efforts are not considered to favor “privileged” people more than others.

“The overall idea for a successful vaccination effort must be community-based,” he said. “And people in the community have to see those sites really for them, and they are somehow not left behind from their own community sites. Therefore, this is soon. Needs to be fixed. “

At the city-wide level, de Blasio does a better job of making paperwork and appointments related to the vaccination process available in languages ​​other than English and Spanish for both public and private hospitals. I admitted that I could.

“This is a lot of work, but we need to make sure it’s as comprehensive as possible,” said De Blasio, who wrote the material in other languages ​​commonly spoken in the city, including Chinese. He emphasized whether the city could force private facilities to provide. , French, Creole, Russian.

“It sounds like none of them are convinced,” De Blasio said in his request that three city medical professionals on the line faced a long silence. “If you don’t have the ability to order, you really need to be very positive about it. [that it’s implemented].. “

When Hitsoner asked the doctor to answer the form of a public municipal hospital, there was another pause during pregnancy.

“If you need credit, you have to give it. When the New York Post is right, they’re right,” De Blasio said. “In order to actually maximize access, the actual form for signing up for a booking must be in a language other than English and Spanish, so we’ll work on fixing it. Probably. “

The lack of translation is not the first time the city’s vaccination efforts have been criticized for accessibility issues.

Elderly bread City complex online registration system To freeze them, even though they are the most vulnerable to coronavirus.

In a statement, the New York Presbyterian Church said: The ongoing engagement initiative focuses on reaching eligible North Manhattan residents and enrolling them in their appointments. This process works with more than 40 community-based and faith-based organizations and other partners, with a focus on providing access, overcoming hesitation, and addressing lasting inequality. “