Getting a COVID-19 vaccine could become easier for Hudson Valley residents.

On Monday, March 8, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that 10 additional New York mass COVID-19 vaccination sites are set to open in the state. According to a press release, these sites will be all over New York State. Two of them will open in the Hudson Valley.

The two new mass COVID-19 vaccination sites that are set to open in the Hudson Valley will be in Middletown and New Paltz. The Middletown mass vaccination site will be at SUNY Orange, in the Diana Physical Education Center at 9 East Conkling Avenue. The New Paltz mass vaccination site will be at the Ulster County Fairgrounds at 249 Libertyville Road. The press release states that these sites remain in development and are expected to open in the coming weeks. Final details, like information for appointment scheduling and hours of operation, are said to be released in the coming days.

Gov. Cuomo said in a press release:

Thanks to increasing vaccine supply from our partners in Washington we can utilize more of our state's capacity to distribute doses, and once they are open, these new sites will allow us to continue to get shots into arms on a large scale.

Currently, the closest mass vaccination sites to the Hudson Valley are in Albany and Westchester. There are multiple pop-up vaccination sites, but no permanent vaccination site. Pop-up vaccination sites have been at Marist College, SUNY Orange Newburgh Campus, and John Jay High School. Dutchess County will be increasing its vaccine stock by 400% this week, according to Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.

Once these new sites open in the Hudson Valley, you will be able to schedule an appointment using the "Am I Eligible" website from New York State. Or, you can call the state's COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829) to make an appointment at these locations when they open. Currently, eligible New Yorkers for the COVID-19 vaccine include first responders and medical field workers, teachers, other frontline professions, those 65 and older, and those with comorbidities.

If you've been struggling to make a COVID vaccine appointment, you're not alone. Many have found it troublesome to secure an appointment. If you are still having trouble securing an appointment, keep reading for six tips that could help you get an appointment.

6 Tips For Getting a Vaccine Appointment in New York

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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