New Yorkers flock to Washington Heights to hunt for vaccines



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COVID-19 vaccine seekers flocked from across the city and state to hit Washington Heights hard on Wednesday in search of the shot – including a couple who were whisked away in a limousine.

The Upper Manhattan Fort Washington Armory, turned into an inoculation site by a hospital near New York-Presbyterian Hospital, remained one of the few vaccination sites in the city still operating this week despite a widespread shortage vaccines.

But, as the City reported on Tuesday, many of those showing up for beatings were from outside the hard-hit neighborhood – and the site at the time lacked Spanish-speaking staff to help the largely Hispanic residents.

Although The Post met with Spanish-speaking workers on Wednesday, the old trend has persisted.

“We’re relieved,” said Carol, an elderly woman who traveled with her husband from the Upper East Side to get stung. “We have been trying to get an appointment for two months. It’s crazy.”

Carol, who declined to give her last name, and her husband – who declined to be identified at all – were picked up after their date by a black Cadillac limousine, their driver waiting with their little dog in the trailer .

“You have to fight for this,” Carol’s husband said with a laugh, when asked if he thought the vaccine was being distributed fairly.

People arriving at the Fort Washington Armory for the COVID-19 vaccine on January 27, 2021.
People arriving at the Fort Washington Armory for the COVID-19 vaccine on January 27, 2021.
Matthew McDermott

In the wake of outrage over news of strangers coming in to be tricked, the NewYork-Presbyterian announced Wednesday night that dates at the site would only go to New York residents – and that A minimum of 60% would be reserved for residents of Washington Heights, Inwood, North and Central Harlem and South Bronx. All existing nominations will always be honored.

Earlier today, Min Ye had driven about three hours by car from northern Schoharie County to make sure her mother, 78, and father, 80, could get the vaccine after making an appointment. you online the day before.

She explained that her parents had an apartment in Midtown Manhattan, but were temporarily living with her in the upstate.

“They were living just upstate. They still have their apartment, ”she says. “We feel that we are also part of this community.”

Judy Stevens, 76, has defended traveling from the Upper West Side for her vaccine, saying the Big Apple is a big community.

“This is New York and for me you give it to anyone who needs it. People here can access the computer like everyone else, ”said Stevens, whose daughter booked him into a hospital appointment earlier Wednesday. “We are all in one place, but we are not divided. We are all in New York City. We are all residents.

Erica Smith has brought her 88-year-old mother, who wears a pacemaker, for a vaccine.

“I told them about my mom’s heart disease and they told me to bring her in,” Smith said, referring to hospital workers.

Smith, who with her mother lives in Washington Heights, said she had no problem with strangers coming for the beating.

“It’s a health problem, so why do you want to help only people [your] neighborhood? ”she asked.

Elsa Mercedes, 75, arrives at the Fort Washington Armory from the Bronx with her son Ronny to be vaccinated.
Elsa Mercedes, 75, arrives at the Fort Washington Armory from the Bronx with her son Ronny to be vaccinated.
Matthew McDermott

The mayor, however, lambasted the practice during a press briefing on Wednesday morning.

“I’m really confused by what I’m hearing,” de Blasio said. “Here you have a site in the middle of an incredibly affected neighborhood, a largely immigrant community, a Latino community that has been one of the places that has suffered the most from the COVID crisis.

“I want to see Columbia Presbyterian doing everything in its power to reach the surrounding community,” he continued. “That should be the warrant. That should be the goal of this center, period. Many rules want the vaccine in the community.

Hizzoner went on to say that the vaccination effort cannot be seen as favoring those more “privileged” than others.

“The very idea of ​​a successful vaccination effort must be community-based,” he said. “And community members need to see that these sites are really for them, and they’re not sort of excluded from their own community sites. So this needs to be resolved immediately. “

At the city level, de Blasio acknowledged that public and private hospitals could do a better job of ensuring that documents and appointments related to the vaccination process are available in languages ​​other than English and Spanish. .

“It’s a huge and sprawling effort, but we need to make sure it’s as inclusive as possible,” de Blasio said, emphasizing whether the city could force private establishments to offer equipment in d ‘other languages ​​commonly spoken throughout the city, including Chinese, French, Creole, and Russian.

“Looks like none of them are safe,” de Blasio said, as his request to weigh the city’s three medical experts on the line was greeted with a long silence. “If we don’t have the ability to order it, we really, very aggressively have to make sure [that it’s implemented]. “

A woman at the Fort Washington Armory with a sticker to show she was vaccinated on January 27, 2021.
A woman at the Fort Washington Armory with a sticker to show she has been vaccinated.
Matthew McDermott

When Hizzoner turned to doctors for answers on forms at city-run public hospitals, there was once again a pregnant pause.

“You have to give credit where credit is due. When the New York Post is right, they’re right, ”de Blasio said. “Appointment registration forms need to be written in languages ​​other than English and Spanish if we are really to maximize access. So, we will work to fix this problem. “

The lack of translations isn’t the first time the city’s vaccination effort has come under fire for accessibility concerns.

Seniors have criticized the city’s convoluted online check-in system for freezing them even though they are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus.

In a statement, the New York-Presbyterian said: An ongoing engagement initiative aims to reach eligible residents of upper Manhattan and sign them up for appointments. This process is undertaken in partnership with more than 40 community and faith-based organizations and other partners, and aims to provide access, overcome hesitations, and address persistent inequalities.

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