ALBANY – Area state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require the State Department of Health to open state-run vaccine clinics in Rockland and Orange counties.
Specifically, the bill would require the health department to open vaccination centers in any county outside New York City with a population of 300,000 or more within 30 days.
At this time, Rockland and Orange are the only counties with populations over 300,000 that do not have state-run vaccination centers.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick (D, Pearl River) and co-sponsored by Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall), and is sponsored in the Assembly by Ken Zebrowski (D, Nanuet).
“Rockland was one of the hardest-hit areas by COVID in the state and now our residents continue to suffer through the vaccine distribution process,” said Zebrowski. “Scheduling an appointment for a life-saving vaccine shouldn’t be left to luck or similar to attempting to buy a hot ticket on Broadway.”
