Mariano Rivera joined Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday afternoon on the site, which is only available to Bronx residents. An appointment is necessary and can be made by going to Somosvaccinations.com or by calling 1-833-SomosNY.
Appointments are still available, the mayor said while encouraging eligible Bronx residents to sign up. About 300 appointments were booked just Thursday by city workers traversing the Bronx.
While the stadium functions as a vaccination site daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., the mayor said there would be more supplies available 24 hours a day.
State officials say they have 15,000 appointments ready for the next week, but there are concerns they won’t get them booked fast enough.
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“Something that the city and state strongly agree on: we need to take actions that really support equality,” said de Blasio. “The Bronx has been hit hard during the COVID crisis. This site – this historic site, this great site – will be for the people of the Bronx.”
Staff members have done the work to convince those who qualify that the vaccine is safe.
The clinic is run under a well-known name – SOMOS Community Care – with shots administered by doctors who work and live in the Bronx.
“The confidence is there,” said SOMOS chairman Dr. Ramon Tallaj. “They believe in us, which is why it is so important that we choose to do this. And we are ready. People need us to give the vaccine to the people in our community.”
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Last season, no fans were allowed in the stands, so today marks the first time that the general public has been allowed into Yankee Stadium since 2019.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” one resident told Eyewitness News. “I trust science and I trust what they are trying to do with people regarding everyone’s health.”
In addition to the stadium, the state is also opening 35 new pop-up vaccine locations in churches, community centers and public housing across New York.
Citi Field is also scheduled to be used as a separate site, but there are currently not enough doses.
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