(Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)
Sept. 1, 2021 By Allie Griffin
The city knocked one out of the park by placing a COVID-19 vaccine site at Citi Field.
City health care staff have administered more than 200,000 vaccinations at the baseball stadium since it first opened — making it the most popular city-run vaccine site in the five boroughs, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday.
Citi Field passed the 200,000th mark Tuesday and awarded the recipient of that shot, Camila Ocampo, with a custom Mets jersey.
“This site has been the most popular city run site of all of them, all five boroughs,” de Blasio said during a morning press conference. “Average of 1,200 vaccinations a day, every single one of them saving lives, protecting a whole family.”
(Mayor’s Office)
The vaccine site at the home of the Mets has largely served Queens residents since it opened in February. When the city first offered appointments at the site, half were reserved for borough residents.
According to city data, 94 percent of recipients at the site have been from Queens. Furthermore, of first-dose recipients, 41 percent reported that they were Latino and 36 percent said they were of Asian descent.
The site has also been successful in reaching young people who became eligible for the vaccine more recently than adults.
“We know some of the most enthusiastic New Yorkers going to Citi Field to get a vaccination have been young people,” de Blasio said. “And you can understand the excitement of being able to go someplace they love.”
Since May 10, 25 percent of the doses at Citi Field have been given to 12- to 17-year-olds.
“This 200,000 mark is a home run for the borough as we try to get our economy going again, as we try to get our children back in schools safely,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said at the mayor’s press conference.
Get in the game and get vaccinated: https://t.co/cNSZQW3Wf1 pic.twitter.com/wvgaQ95pn6
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) September 1, 2021
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It’s not like their employers gave them a choice