Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that New York expects to get the first 170,000 doses of vaccines by mid-month, but warned the coronavirus pandemic will continue to spread more death, illness and hardship into next year.
The governor called the national vaccination effort perhaps the biggest public undertaking since World War II, especially given the suspicions some Americans have about inoculations.
"This is going to be an incredibly challenging experience," Cuomo said.
Cuomo said the state is facing a dreadful new "mountain" of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. But he did say the coming vaccines offer hope for a better future by summer.
"The good news is the goal line is in sight," Cuomo said.
The governor announced another day of bad statistics in the state.
The Empire State recorded nearly 4,000 people hospitalized for coronavirus on Tuesday and 67 New Yorkers died, a new six-month high in the state.
Nearly 9,000 COVID-19 cases were logged, the highest in a single day since late April.
The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests sits at 4.6%, a bit lower than the day before but still far higher than it had been as recently as last week.
Unlike the first wave of the pandemic, this round is being driven by the sharpest increases upstate and in rural areas.
