New York State Reports First Case of U.K. Covid-19 Variant, Andrew Cuomo Says

New COVID-19 variant first identified in the U.K. has been detected in New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says.

They were 210,479 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the U.S. on Sunday, according to real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Cuomo has also vowed that he won’t get the coronavirus vaccine until it’s available for his group in Black, Hispanic and poor communities around his state.

Watch: Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York said he would not be vaccinated for Covid-19 until vaccines were widely available for his age group in hard-hit New York communities. pic.twitter.com/potLQ5O0ID

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 3, 2021

Governor Cuomo says the federal government is not moving fast enough in vaccinating nursing home residents and staff so the state will be stepping in.

Over next two weeks, all nursing home residents will be vaccinated.

New York hospitals statewide have administered approximately 46% of available vaccines.

“We need them to do better…we need public officials to step in.”

Below are hospitals slow to administer vaccines according to Cuomo.

Cuomo says that hospitals hospitals can face fines of up to $100,000 if they do not use all their vaccines by the end of this week. Going forward, facilities must use all vaccines within 7 days of receipt.

Cuomo: The state will be establishing drive-thrus for public distribution when it is time for the public to receive their vaccine.

State will recruit additional retired personnel, nurses, doctors and pharmacists to administer vaccines. Will use public facilities.

Starting today the state is expanding the list of those eligible to receive the vaccine to include doctors, nurses and healthcare staff who come in contact with the public.

New York schools will stay open in counties with a positive COVID-19 infection rate over 9% if school testing can show they are below the community average. It will be ultimately up to the school district.