Drug addicts may get preference for COVID-19 vaccine shots in New York

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday hinted that addicts
in rehab centers may get priority COVID-19 vaccine shots, New York Post has
reported.

Cuomo, who was addressing a virtual press conference,
weighed in favour of substance-abuse victims to get the shot, saying that such
people are more vulnerable to the infection since they live in a congregated
facility.

In addition to urgent care center employees and “individuals
who are administering the COVID-19 vaccines, for obvious reasons,” Cuomo said
that shots would be given to residents of “OASAS” — the state Office of Addiction
Services and Supports, the NY Post wrote.

The agency runs 12 rehab centers in the state with five in
or around the New York City, besides certifying many other private facilities
which provide the rehab service.

“These are congregate facilities. Congregate facilities are
problematic. That’s where you have a lot of people in concentration,” Cuomo
said.

“Nursing homes are obviously the most problematic
because they’re congregate plus older, vulnerable people. OASAS facilities,
what we call the O facilities, they’re congregate — not necessarily older — but
congregate facilities.”

According to the tabloid, the move may have come from lobbying
by Luke Nasta, a spokesman for the New York Association for Substance Abuse Providers,
who said the decision made sense as the drug abusers are more likely to get the
infection and spread it.

“We were overlooked initially. We got the governor’s
office’s attention and Gov. Cuomo acted appropriately,” he said, as quoted by
the New York daily.

Cuomo also said that the percentage of New Yorkers who
tested positive for coronavirus jumped from 5.8% to 8.3% over the three-day
Christmas weekend. The total death count in the state on Monday stood at 29,629.