Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced more than 38,000 vaccine doses have been administered in New York State as of Monday morning - the highest reported total in the nation thus far. 

Bolstering this effort, the first 346,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine are expected to begin arriving in New York today, with an additional 120,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine expected later this week.

The Governor also announced the launch of New York's Vaccine Equity Task Force chaired by Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, Attorney General Letitia James, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial, and Healthfirst President & CEO Pat Wang. The Task Force will work to ensure vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind by breaking down the barriers to vaccination and ensuring there is equitable distribution of the vaccine across the state.

Governor Cuomo also announced that New York is developing Community Vaccination Kits to provide communities, particularly those located within health care deserts, with the supplies and resources needed for standing up vaccination sites.

The Governor also announced that a federal program to vaccinate nursing home residents and staff began today in New York State and is expected to vaccinate residents and staff at 618 facilities across the state, with first doses administered starting today and over the next two weeks. 

"We're now talking about who's getting vaccinated, and let me be clear: there is no politics in the vaccination process," Governor Cuomo said. "We went through this with COVID testing, with big shots, celebrities, and affluent people getting to the front of the line. This preferential treatment in COVID testing undermines our entire sense of democracy, equality and a government that works for all people. And in this time of COVID where we've seen gross injustices, politics has nothing to do with it. There's no governor, no county executive, and no mayor who controls the process, and anyone who says that is not telling the truth or violating the law. This is entirely done by medical professionals and our hospitals have already vaccinated more people than any state in the nation." 

Health experts have projected that in order to win the war against COVID-19, between 75 and 85 percent of the population needs to receive the vaccine and as such, New York has made it a top priority to ensure vulnerable and underserved communities are not left behind. To further this work, breakdown barriers to access and ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine, the Governor is launching New York's Vaccine Equity Task Force. 

Task Force members include: 

• Frederick Shack, CEO, Urban Pathways, Inc.
• Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, President, SUNY Albany
• Murad Awawdeh, Interim Co-Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition
• Dr. Henry Chen, President, SOMOS Community Care
• Phyllis Jackson, Founder and Executive Director, Interdenominational Health Ministry Coalition; Community Wellness Project Manager; Common Ground Health
• Guillermo Chacón, President, Latino Commission on AIDS and Founder, Hispanic Health Network
• George Gresham, President, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East
• Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Special Advisor for Policy and Community Affairs, NYS Homes and Community Renewal
• Frankie Miranda, President and CEO, Hispanic Federation
• Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church
• Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director, Asian American Federation
• Dr. Hazel Dukes, President, NAACP New York State Conference
• Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor, Grace Baptist Church
• Judith Watson, CEO, Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center
• Dr. Rosa Gil, Founder, President and CEO, Comunilife, Inc.
• Dr. Wayne Riley, President, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Chair, Board of Trustees, New York Academy of Medicine
• Danny Barber, Chair, NYCHA Citywide Council of Presidents; President, Jackson Houses Tenant Association
• Kyle Bragg, President, 32BJ SEIU
• Karim Camara, Executive Director and Deputy Commissioner, Governor's Office of Faith-Based Community Development Services
• Rev. Mark E. Blue, President, Buffalo Chapter NAACP

Community Vaccination Kits will be a key part of New York's efforts to increase access to vaccines in Black, Latino, rural, poor and public housing communities, as well as other health care deserts by providing all essential equipment and supplies to administer vaccines to those populations most in need of support.

Specifically, each kit includes step-by-step instructions for how to set up a site, and critical supplies and equipment such as:

• Office Supplies
• Workstation Equipment
• Communications Equipment
• Cleaning Supplies
• Lighting Equipment
• PPE
• Crowd/Traffic Control Equipment
• Vials
• Syringes
• Room Dividers
• Privacy Curtains

Today, New York State began a federal program to vaccinate nursing home residents and staff at 618 facilities enrolled in the program to date. CVS will vaccinate 271 facilities, Walgreens will vaccinate 253 facilities, and other pharmacies will vaccinate 94 facilities. The program in its entirety is expected to take approximately six weeks, including three "clinical days" at each facility:

• Day 1: All residents/portion of staff receive shot 1 (expected to be completed over next two weeks)
• Day 2: All residents/portion of staff receive shot 2, portion of staff receive shot 1.
• Day 3: Remaining staff receive shot 2