Newburgh Armory Unity Center identified as vaccination site

Appointments quickly filled for Saturday distribution

By CLOEY CALLAHAN
Posted 2/3/21

More than 300 citizens received their first dose of the COVID 19 vaccination, Saturday, at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center

Mayor Torrance Harvey announced at Monday night’s City Council …

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Newburgh Armory Unity Center identified as vaccination site

Appointments quickly filled for Saturday distribution

Posted

More than 300 citizens received their first dose of the COVID 19 vaccination, Saturday, at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center

Mayor Torrance Harvey announced at Monday night’s City Council meeting that “307 elderly members” were vaccinated on the first day after the space was secured last Wednesday .He said 60-70 people who had received appointments were no-shows by that he and other officials worked to secure additional spots.

 “I personally got 25-30 people because there were a lot of no-shows,” the mayor said.

On Wednesday, February 3, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that 35 additional community-based pop-up vaccination sites across the state were coming online, including the  Newburgh Armory Unity Center, at 321 South William Street in Newburgh.

“I was just notified that Governor Cuomo put it on a list on the New York State website that Newburgh is going to have a pop-up vaccine event for the elderly and folks eligible in 1a and 1b,” said Harvey on his Facebook Live. “I am still trying to find out all the details.”

Harvey said it would not have been made possible without the constant push and collaboration with the City of Newburgh’s representatives like Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus, Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson and more. 

Additionally, he said it would not have been made possible without Bill Kaplan at the Armory Unity Center. Harvey said they are still waiting to hear further details about appointments and other information for the pop-up vaccination site, although he said it will target the elderly population. The pop-up site will come back online three weeks later for individuals to receive their second doses.

Just last week, the City of Newburgh heard that it was still identified as a yellow zone micro-cluster, which is one of only four across the state. All other restrictions had been lifted. 

“Newburgh is the only city in all of the Mid Hudson Valley still with the restrictions that the governor has implemented with COVID-19,” said Harvey. 

Harvey said he made a special request to be included on the pop-up vaccination list so the city can continue to tackle COVID-19 and work towards leaving the yellow zone restrictions.

“This is a victory,” said Harvey. “We’re excited that we’re going to have our own vaccine site as a pop-up event.”

Quickly, though, all appointments had been filled. Within minutes of Harvey’s announcement on Wednesday gave word that all avaialable appointments had been taken.

 “It goes quick,” Harvey commented on his Facebook Live. “I’m working on additional days.”

Kaplan is also working to receive more doses and wrote a personal thank you to the Governor’s office. He said if they receive more doses it will go directly to the minority community in Newburgh.

Other locations across the state where the pop-up vaccination sites will be held include senior housing developments, public housing sites, churches and other community centers. A press release from New York State said the sites will vaccinate over 25,000 people this week. More sites are scheduled to come online across the state every week. 

Since January 15, the deployment of vaccination kids have enabled 9,000 New Yorkers to receive their first dose at a community-based pop up site. 

“COVID brought the ugly truth of inequity and inequality in this country to a tipping point,” Governor Cuomo said. “COVID has killed Black and Latino New Yorkers at a higher rate and that is why these community-based sites are one of New York's vaccine priorities. More than 9,000 New Yorkers have been vaccinated through this effort and by making the vaccine accessible and delivered by trusted community partners, we can address the skepticism and bring this life-saving vaccine to those who need it most. The light at the end of the tunnel is bright and getting brighter with each new location and each shot administered.”

Other community-based pop-up vaccination sites in the area include ones in Poughkeepsie at the Beulah Baptist Church, in Peekskill at the Kiley Youth Center and more. 

Harvey said that if the pop-up event goes well, they are going to ask Governor Cuomo if they can be a vaccination POD, or points of dispensing.