COVID Update: Jones Beach Vaccine Mega Site Opens As COVID Variant Cluster Confirmed On Long Island

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) – New York State will open its third mass vaccination site in our area – the fourth statewide – at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island Thursday morning.

The mega site, which is also the state’s first drive-through site, will open at 8am

Also starting today in New York City, vaccines will be available from the Fort Washington Avenue Armory in Washington Heights.

The photos at all locations in New York are available by appointment to the 7 million New Yorkers in grades 1a and 1b, including seniors 65 and older.

Governor Andrew Cuomo estimates it will take more than 5 months to vaccinate everyone in those groups.

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Both openings come as New York sees more cases of the more contagious COVID-19 variant that was first reported in the UK.

There are now at least 15 confirmed cases statewide across two separate clusters.

The most recent cluster was identified on Wednesday with two cases each in Suffolk and Nassau counties. A fifth case in Queens has also been linked.

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This cluster is unrelated to the previous cluster of cases in Saratoga Springs confirmed last week.

In light of this, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for flight restrictions to prevent more cases of that contagious species from arriving here from the UK and other places.

The Jones Beach mega site opens with a press conference Thursday morning, but the Nassau County director would not be in attendance.

Laura Curran is quarantined at home after possible exposure to COVID-19. She reportedly feels fine.

So far, just over 700,000 people have received the vaccine statewide.

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Here are the most recent and upcoming vaccination site openings:

New York State Vaccination Sites:

Wednesday 1/13:
Javits Center
State Fair Expo Center, Onondaga County

Thursday 1/14:
Westchester County Center

Friday 1/15:
Jones Beach, Nassau County – Drive-Thru
SUNY Albany

More state sites will open next week:
SUNY Stony Brook (LI)
SUNY Binghamton Property in Johnson City
Dome Arena, Rochester

Plattsburgh Airport – Drive-thru
SUNY Postdam
Utica Memorial Auditorium
U Buffalo South Campus

Aqueduct Race Track, Queens

CHECK LIST of Vaccine Eligibility in New York State

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