Serving Great Neck, G.N. Plaza, G.N. Estates, Kensington, Kings Point, Lake Success, Russell Gardens, Saddle Rock and Thomaston
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Friday, January 22, 2021
Vol. 96, No. 4
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
COVID-19 CASES NEAR 15,000
SUOZZI, RICE VOTE TO IMPEACH
PAGES 19-22
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Cuomo, Curran ask for more, receive less Pfizer denies governor’s request to purchase vaccines from company BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Despite encouraging trends for vaccination distribution on Long Island, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Gov. Andrew Cuomo continued to say that the process needs to be sped up. Cuomo sent a letter to Pfizer’s chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla, after the state received 50,000 fewer vaccine doses this week than last week. Cuomo asked Bourla if the state could purchase vaccines directly from Pfizer rather than obtaining them from the federal initiative Operation Warp Speed. “It is abundantly clear that these vaccines are the weapons that will finally win the war against COVID-19,” Cuomo said in the letter. “But with hospitalizations and deaths increasing across the country this winter, we are in a footrace with the virus, and we will lose unless we dramatically increase the number of doses getting to New Yorkers.”
Pfizer, in a statement, said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would need to approve for the state to conduct a transaction directly with the company. According to state figures, the Nassau County Department of Health was the best-performing distribution entity on Long Island as of Monday, administering 100 percent of first doses through the first four weeks of vaccinating. Despite encouraging figures, Curran said, there is an immediate need to up the scale of vaccine distribution throughout Nassau County. “We must increase the scale of federal vaccine shipments so we can pick up the pace,” Curran said. “Nassau has the infrastructure in place to administer the vaccine in greater numbers, and we’re investing in the outreach necessary.” Other facilities in the county that have been administering at least 90 percent of vaccine doses inContinued on Page 28
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINA FONG
Great Neck Troop 10 honored Scoutmaster Dr. Dwight (“Doc”) Rosenstein for his 25th anniversary and the troop committee chairperson, Ms. Effie Misoulis, who retired after many years of service with the troop. See story on page 37.
VGN receives 11 proposals to construct new village hall BY R OB E RT PELAEZ The Village of Great Neck has received 11 proposals for the construction of a new village hall, according to village
Clerk Abraham Cohan. The proposals were required to be submitted to the village by 4:30 p.m. last Friday. In November, the village’s Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution au-
thorizing Mayor Pedram Bral to purchase property at 756 Middle Neck Road for a new village hall. No specific details were provided by village officials Continued on Page 27
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