COVID update: Jones Beach vaccine mega-site opens as cluster of COVID variants confirmed in Long Island



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

The mega-site, which is also the state’s premier drive-thru site, opens at 8 a.m.

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

Shots at all New York City locations are available by appointment for the 7 million New Yorkers in Groups 1a and 1b, which includes those aged 65 and over.

Governor Andrew Cuomo estimates that it will take more than 5 months to vaccinate all members of these groups.

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

There are now at least 15 confirmed cases statewide, located in two distinct 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.

MORE COVIDATED NEWS: Javits Center opens as vaccine mega-site

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 this contagious strain from arriving here from the UK and other places.

The Jones Beach mega-site opens Thursday morning with a press conference, but the Nassau County executive was not expected to attend.

Laura Curran is in quarantine at home after possible exposure to COVID-19. She would feel good.

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 14/01:
Westchester County Center

Friday 01/15:
Jones Beach, Nassau County – Drive-Thru
SUNY Albany

Next week, other state sites will open:
SUNY Stony Brook (LI)
SUNY Binghamton property in Johnson City
Dome Arena, Rochester

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

Aqueduct Race Track, Queens

SEE THE LIST of People Eligible for a Vaccine in New York State

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MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE

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Monitoring the availability and progress of COVID-19 in New York
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