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New York opens mass Covid vaccination site at Javits Convention Center

People line up as health care workers and military personnel work to distribute doses of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the New York State COVID-19 vaccination site at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in New York City, January 13, 2021.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

New York opened a mass Covid-19 vaccination site at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on Wednesday, a key step toward speeding up the rollout of the life-saving doses.

The Javits Center, commissioned as an emergency hospital in the early days of the pandemic, welcomed its first New Yorkers for inoculations.

“It’s been a challenging year for all of us – especially the events industry. But we are honored to play a role in vaccinating New Yorkers & defeating this invisible enemy,” representatives for the center said in a tweet.

New York state has administered roughly 630,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines, out of a total 1.8 million allocated for the state so far, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That amounts to roughly 3,200 vaccine doses per 100,000 residents, according to the CDC.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio previously set a goal of vaccinating 1 million New Yorkers by Feb. 1.

People check in for a Covid-19 vaccination at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York.

Javits Center begins for COVID-19 vaccination for essential workers and people over 65 years old age this morning in New York City, on January 13, 2021.

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

A man is directed by a soldier to receive a vaccination at the Javits Center.

A man is directed by a soldier as he arrives to receive a dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the New York State COVID-19 vaccination site at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in New York City, January 13, 2021.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

New York is giving priority to older Americans, extending eligibility to everyone 65 and over.

People arrive to receive doses of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the New York State COVID-19 vaccination site at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in New York, January 13, 2021.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

People line up for a jab.

People stand in line to receive a dose of the Covid-19 vaccination at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021.

Jeenah Moon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A man receives his vaccination.

A man receives a dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the New York State COVID-19 vaccination site at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, in New York City, January 13, 2021.

Brendan McDermid | Reuters

A person wears a sticker after receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.

A person wears a sticker after receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccination at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021.

Jeenah Moon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

New York was one of the worst-hit cities early in the pandemic. It’s suffering a second surge now.

A banner hangs from the ceiling at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on January 13, 2021 during a media tour of the new state vaccination site in New York City.

Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

A person wearing a protective mask gives a thumbs up after receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.

A person wearing a protective mask gives a thumbs up sign after receiving a dose of the Covid-19 vaccination at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021.

Jeenah Moon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

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