Assemblywoman Fernández calls for mass Covid-19 vaccination site in North Bronx

THE BRONX – Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández, a candidate for the Bronx Borough President, has called on Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio to bring a mass COVID-19 vaccination site to the North Bronx.

While expressing her concern over vaccination distribution across the state, Fernandez noted that despite the efforts of city leaders to deliver expanded access to the COVID-19 vaccine, 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. 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,” said Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández, candidate for Bronx Borough President.

According to the press release, 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. In The Bronx, these ethnic groups make up more than half of the borough’s overall population.

“We can not continue to ignore the disproportionate response to the pandemic. 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,” said Assemblywoman Fernández.

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

Borough	People with at least one dose	People with completed vax series
Manhattan	245,240	142,166
Queens	236,554	116,925
Brooklyn	211,391	104,289
Bronx	132,380	60,995
Staten Island	65,459	34,223

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

Borough	7-day avg. known cases	7-day avg. known deaths	Known Cases	Deaths
Brooklyn	1,100	23	198,972	8,958
Queens	1,049	20	201,274	8,642
Bronx	729	14	134,221	5,768
Manhattan	578	9	101,499	3,830
Staten Island	232	3	55,109	1,551

The candidate, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández, promised to ensure equal and transparent distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine if she is given elected.

“If elected, I will fight for expanded access to the COVID-19 vaccine, seek environmental justice, improve transportation access, prioritize affordable housing development and ensure fair rezoning if elected,” she concluded.