Friday, February 5, 2021

Yankee Stadium A Vaccination Site For Bronx Residents

Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.


New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that Yankee Stadium will be a mass vaccination site starting this Friday, February 5.

The site will be reserved for Bronx residents by appointment only, as the borough has the highest positivity rate in the city. 15,000 appointments will be available in the first week.

Bronx residents can schedule appointments by visiting somosvaccinations.com or calling 1-833-SomosNY. 

Vaccines being administered at Yankee Stadium Friday morning. Courtesy New York Yankees.


Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement, "It's abunanlty clear that Black, Latino, and poor communities have been hit the hardest by COVID, and the Bronx is no exception. Our efforts to target vaccinations by locations with higher positivity rates have been working to not only keep the infection rate down, but to help ensure equity in our vaccine distribution process, and opening a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium - the Bronx's most iconic landmark -is the perfect solution to helping this borough get vaccinated and defeat COVID once and for all."

The development of this site was made possible by a partnership with the New York Yankees, SOMOS Community Care, and the New York National Guard.

Yankees President Randy Levine speaks to the media and administrators on Friday morning. Provided by New York Yankees.


The New York Yankees said in a statement, "These vaccinations will make an immediate difference in improving the health of our local community - which has been so overwhelmed by this pandemic - and we extend out appreciation to all those involved with bringing this effort to fruition, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, the State of New York, Mayor Bill De Blasio, the City of New York and SOMOS Community Care. We will do whatever is needed to make this a success."

Mayor de Blasio said in a statement, "This mega site shows what our grassroots, equity-driven NYC Vaccine for All effort is all about. Yankee Stadium has always been known for its World Series banners, but now it'll be recognized as a place where the people of the surrounding community in the Bronx can receive the vaccine doses that they need and deserve. This is about justice and standing up for the neighborhoods that were hardest hit by COVID-19."

Mayor de Blasio speaks on Friday morning to inaugurate Yankee Stadium as a vaccine site. Photo by New York Yankees.


Dr. Roman Tallaj, Chairman of SOMOS, a network of community doctors helping to lead vaccination efforts around New York, including the new facility at Yankee Stadium, added in a statement, "Yankee Stadium is the home of heroes here in New York - and it's a symbol of the Empire State's greatness around the world. Yankee Stadium means pride and optimism and stands for what makes our collaboration with Governor Cuomo and the city of New York so vital to bringing the vacuna de esperanza - The vaccine of hope - into the neighborhood. As a network of family physicians and community doctors, we speak the same language, share the stories, and understand the culture of the people we serve and treat. Many of us are immigrants like our patients. We live in the same neighborhoods. We speak the language. We offer a national model for overcoming the mistrust and skepticism in the communities historically marginalized by traditional healthcare systems like large hospital chains. But we need the local, state, and federal support to make it happen. 

"Operating an iconic, familiar site to all New Yorkers located in the Bronx and alongside homegrown heroes like Mariano Rivera is a major step forward that can accommodate huge numbers - but we need to be sure we get the doses so that it reaches its full potential. In a great baseball movie, Field of Dreams, the script reads 'if you build it, they will come.' I am optimistic that will be the case for communities of color and vaccination at Yankee Stadium - and we at SOMOS are ready to get the doses in arms our city needs to get back to work, reopen schools and small businesses, and recover from this pandemic. To our New Yorkers from the Bronx waiting to be vaccinated, hope is here."

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone greeting a vaccine recipient. Provided by New York Yankees.




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