Restaurant workers and taxi drivers are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday.
The announcement came one day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo reversed his position and allowed local leaders to vaccinate the groups, while leaving the call to them based on supply.
“It was clear to me that the folks who work in restaurants deserve the right to be vaccinated,” said de Blasio during a City Hall briefing on Wednesday. “Like everybody, they’ll have a chance to get appointments with so many other people trying to get appointments.”
Also now eligible in the city are taxi drivers and those in facilities for the developmentally disabled.
Prior to Tuesday, Cuomo had opposed calls to expand vaccination eligibility to restaurant workers — despite clearing city eateries to resume indoor dining at 25 percent capacity starting Feb. 14 — citing a nagging lack of available doses.
But after the White House announced a 5 percent increase in weekly vaccine dose allocations on Tuesday, Cuomo gave local leaders the option to expand to the groups.
The move was helped by the White House announcing a 5 percent increase in weekly vaccine dose allocations on Tuesday. Stephen Yang





