Fernandez calls for mass vaccination site in the north Bronx

Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández has called on Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to bring a mass COVID-19 vaccination site to the north Bronx.

While the city is trying to distribute the vaccine equitably, Fernandez feels the outer boroughs are being left behind — particularly in low-income and minority communities.

“If the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is about protecting people who need the most protection, then it is clear that The Bronx is drastically underserved,” Fernandez said. “The Bronx is one of the places that bore the brunt of the coronavirus crisis, yet distribution efforts have focused on wealthy, white, Manhattan neighborhoods.”

Data from the New York City Department of Health has shown that Black and Latinx New Yorkers are twice as likely as white New Yorkers to die from the coronavirus. In the Bronx, the city has recorded 5,483 cases of people who identify as Black/African American and 7,226 cases of people who identify as Hispanic/Latino. These ethnic groups make up more than half of the borough’s overall population.

“We cannot continue to ignore the disproportionate response to the pandemic,” the lawmaker said. “The North Bronx is in desperate need of a mass vaccination site. I am calling on Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo to help Bronxites stay safe and healthy. Expanding access to the vaccine is the only way to revitalize our borough successfully.”

Currently, mass vaccination sites in the Bronx include Bathgate Contract Postal Station, Yankee Stadium, Bronx High School of Science, Morris High School Campus and South Bronx Educational Campus.

According to data from the New York State Department of Health, The Bronx ranks fourth in the amount of administered vaccines:

Currently, The Bronx ranks third in the number of COVID-19 related deaths: