"We are hurt, we are frustrated, we are in mourning, we are anxious", said Cuomo, who delivered his televised address to a small in-person audience.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged New York will vaccinate millions and jumpstart its flagging economy in 2021 as part of his annual address to the state that began Monday.
The Democrat opened up vaccine eligibility to essential workers and individuals over 75 years old in a Friday announcement — a shift that followed criticism of his restrictive approach of first waiting to vaccinate all healthcare workers.
"We simply cannot stay closed until the vaccine hits critical mass", Cuomo said.
New York's unemployment rate has improved in recent months: from 15.3% in April to 8.4% in November. Still, that's higher than the national unemployment rate, which has shrunk from 14.7% in April to 6.7% as of November.
