New York Yankees Home Stadium Transformed into Vaccination Site

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The home stadium of the New York Yankees, a Major League Baseball team, has been transformed into a massive vaccination site. As New York City and health authorities designated the stadium as a vaccination center for large-scale inoculations, numerous residents have been flocking to the venue.

According to local media such as CNN on the 6th (local time), COVID-19 vaccinations for vulnerable residents began the day before at Yankee Stadium, located in the Bronx, New York City. The Bronx was one of the areas with the highest mortality rates worldwide during the early spring of last year’s COVID-19 pandemic, with most residents being African American and Hispanic, and it is still considered a place with a high COVID-19 positive rate.

New York City and New York State health authorities decided to launch a large-scale vaccination campaign at Yankee Stadium targeting Bronx residents eligible for vaccination, including healthcare workers, essential workers, and seniors aged 65 and older. From the first day, many residents lined up in front of Yankee Stadium, and National Guard soldiers in military uniforms checked reservations on tablet PCs before allowing people inside the stadium.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Yankees team officials were present at the site to encourage vaccinations. Wearing a Yankees cap, Mayor de Blasio said, "Today is a different kind of opening day," adding, "For today only, I am also a Yankees fan." Mayor de Blasio, originally from Boston, is famously a big fan of the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees’ archrival.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone also commented, "Today is the most special opening day in Yankee Stadium history," and said, "It is a very special day for all residents living here and everyone getting vaccinated."

New York City announced that it allocated 15,000 vaccine doses to Yankee Stadium for the first week and completed vaccination reservations for about 13,000 people.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.