Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced today that residents in parts of Yonkers and Mount Vernon will be able to begin making an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, February 24th at the new FEMA and State run vaccination site in Yonkers. The site is expected to open on March 4th.
“Through my advocacy efforts, and my calls to the Governor’s office to expand equitable vaccine distribution, partners and I at all levels of government were able to make this happen,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “The Westchester County Center was not accessible to many Yonkers and Mount Vernon seniors or those depending on public transportation in our hardest hit communities so getting this site in my district will be life-saving.”
Appointments for testing will open first on February 24th in Yonkers zip codes: 10701, 10703, 10704, and 10705 and Mount Vernon zip codes: 10550, 10552, and 10553. On March 3rd, all Westchester County residents can begin making an appointment.
The new testing site will be located at the New York National Guard Armory in Southwest Yonkers at 2 Quincy Place. The site is expected to offer 1,000 vaccines each day. Meanwhile, with the opening of this site, the Westchester County Center should see shorter lines and appointments open.
Now, the Majority Leader said she is focused on launching an awareness campaign to let residents know this site is here. The Senator said her staff will be reaching out to organizations and residents by phone. She will also be making efforts online to get the word out.
“We saw Yankee Stadium open, and people didn’t even know it was a testing site in the beginning. We can’t let that happen in Yonkers. My office will be working to raise awareness.”
The Majority Leader noted she is also hosting a Facebook Live event on February 24th at 7:00 p.m. with Senator Shelley Mayer to address health inequity in the Black community, and what can be done to combat vaccine hesitancy. The Senator encourages residents to join the conversation and to visit the State’s website to determine if they may be eligible to get the vaccine.
