New York State is getting some encouraging news in two areas as it continues to battle COVID-19.
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand say $466,800,000 in funding is poised to come to New York to pay for vaccine distribution and administration. The aid could be used for purchasing masks, gowns and gloves for staff administering vaccines and even transportation for getting shots to clinics.
Digital team
Governor Andrew Cuomo also says the new administration in Washington has told states to expect a 16 percent increase in vaccine allocations for the next three weeks as the state and its counties, including Broome, have been frustrated in trying to schedule appointments for the thousands of eligible residents who want to get a shot.
COVID-19 vaccination with fits and starts
The top administrator for a healthcare system that serves patients in a 12-county region in New York and Pennsylvania acknowledged that supply challenges result in a vaccination process with “fits and starts” but no patients will have appointments cancelled. Right now, the fundamental issue for us is the unpredictable nature of when we are going to receive those vaccine supplies, said Dr. Joseph Scopelliti, president and CEO of Guthrie, a non-profit integrated health system that includes Guthrie Corning Hospital in Steuben County. We do anticipate that on a weekly basis we get a resupply of vaccines, that is the way it has been working for the last five weeks.