Serving New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Garden City Park, North Hills, Manhasset Hills and North New Hyde Park
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Friday, January 22, 2021
Vol. 70, No. 4
N E W H Y D E PA R K
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
2 ARRESTED IN F.P. ROBBERY
SUOZZI, RICE VOTE TO IMPEACH
PAGES 19-22
PAGE 2
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Cuomo, Curran ask for more, receive less
COVID CAN’T
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 THE NEW HYDE PARK-GARDEN CITY PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT
New Hyde Park Road School put together a “COVID Can’t” video to share with students and staff to help lift everyone’s spirits in the midst of the pandemic.
NHP area surpasses 3K coronavirus cases BY R OB E RT PELAEZ
mid-March, according to statistics provided by the Nassau County Department of Health Nearly 15,000 people on on Wednesday. After trailing the Great the North Shore have tested positive for the coronavirus Neck peninsula, the only North since the pandemic began in Shore area to be deemed a “yel-
low zone” by the state, the area that incorporates the Willistons and Mineola had 3,260 cases as of Wednesday, the most of all analyzed areas. The Village of Mineola Continued on Page 28
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