Plans to convert Yankee Stadium and Citi Field into large-scale coronavirus vaccination sites have officially been postponed indefinitely – while 15 existing city vaccination centers remain closed as New York City continues to grapple with a stock shortage, officials said Monday.
The setbacks are the final blows for New York’s troubled vaccination, most recently hampered by a lagging supply of photos from the federal government and manufacturer Moderna – forcing the city to reschedule tens of thousands of appointments when it became clear there wasn’t enough pricks in hand.
“We want this to be a full, 24-hour operation, but we don’t have the vaccine,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio of Yankee Stadium and Citi Field at a news conference Monday.
Hizzoner did not set a new opening date for the sites, but said it was tied to when the city will receive enough vaccine supplies to support the operations.
Meanwhile, 15 vaccination centers in all five boroughs that were closed last week due to supply shortages will remain closed until Thursday, City Councilor Mark Levine, the head of the Health Council of the Council, revealed in a tweet.
Those sites were closed last Thursday – for now until January 24 – when Moderna’s weekly shipping didn’t arrive on time. The appointments that have been canceled at the locations are expected to continue this week, starting on Thursday.
The lack of adequate photos from the FBI follows previous issues with the state and city, including tough Albany restrictions on who could get the vaccine and a complicated online registration process that confuses many seniors.