Cuomo: Over 5 million New Yorkers have received 1 dose of COVID vaccine

NEW YORK - Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that more than 1 in 4 New Yorkers, over 5 million people, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and half of those people have been fully vaccinated.

In the last 24 hours, 188,828 doses of the vaccine have been administered across the state, and more than 1 million doses have been administered over the past seven days. 

"Our providers have been working day and night to administer shots and we can see the results of their tireless efforts," Governor Cuomo said. "One in every four New Yorkers has now received at least one dose of the vaccine, and we are continuing our outreach across the state to address hesitancy and accessibility so that we can continue getting shots into people's arms as quickly as possible. In the meantime, it is essential that we continue to exercise basic safety protocols so we can continue to build on all the progress we've made on vaccinations." 

The announcement came as the Brazilian variant of the coronavirus was discovered in New York for the first time.

The patient is said to be a Brooklyn resident in their 90s with no travel history.

The case was identified by scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital.

The Brazilian variant is said to be more contagious than the original coronavirus.

The number of inoculations represents a boost for the state and the tri-State area, which continues to ease restrictions as the reopening process from the pandemic continues.

On Friday, indoor dining capacity in New York City and New Jersey was boosted to 50%, while restaurants in New York outside of the city saw their capacity raised to 75%. Next door, in Connecticut, capacity restrictions were lifted entirely for most businesses, although coronavirus safety protocols are still in place.

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