De Blasio Opens Up Coronavirus Vaccine To Restaurant Workers

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Bill de Blasio officially served up coronavirus vaccine access to restaurant workers as the city prepares for the return of indoor dining.

Expanding vaccine eligibility is normally a decision that falls to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but the governor on Monday gave local officials the power to open up the COVID-19 vaccine to restaurant workers, taxi and ride share drivers and people in facilities for the developmentally disabled.

De Blasio made his decision Tuesday morning.

“My decision is yes, those folks deserve to be vaccinated,” he said.

The decision fulfills part of de Blasio’s request for greater “freedom” for city officials to vaccinate wider swaths of New Yorkers. It’s a goal he has long advocated for, but until now has been mostly powerless to enact.

The issue came to fore over the weekend as Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced criticism for his response to concerns that restaurant workers should be granted vaccine access, given that indoor dining is slated to return — by his decision — in New York City on Feb. 14.

Cuomo on Monday reversed course and gave local governments the authority to expand access, but noted it likely will be limited by still-scant supply.

New York City has so far put 837,292 COVID-19 vaccine doses into arms, de Blasio said. The number is far short of de Blasio’s claim that the city can distribute 500,000 doses a week, if only it received the supply.

Most city-run vaccination hubs will reopen Wednesday after a two-day shutdown amid a massive winter storm, de Blasio said.