Flushing Library located at 41-17 Main St. (Photo: QPL)
March 9, 2021 By Christian Murray
New York City is opening a new vaccination site in Flushing in partnership with the Queens Public Library.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that the city is opening a site at the Flushing Library, located at 41-17 Main St., and plans to open additional sites in the borough with the help of the Queens Public Library. The QPL has 62 branches scattered across the borough.
“With more supply coming online, we are expanding the number of sites to serve the people of our city across the five boroughs,” De Blasio said. “This new partnership with QPL will help us put shots in the arms of Queens residents right in the heart of their communities.”
Dennis Walcott, CEO of the Queens Public Library, said that the Flushing branch will be closed on a temporary basis to make way for the site. The branch will officially close for library service at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The date when the site opens for vaccinations was not known at press time.
“Flushing Library is uniquely positioned to serve as a site where the vaccine can be distributed to high numbers of people, given its standing as a trusted center of community, prominent location, heavy foot traffic and convenient access to public transportation,” Walcott said.
“We made the decision to temporarily suspend library service at Flushing only after careful consideration of a number of factors, including the high need in the community and our ability to offer resources at nearby branches.”
The vaccination site will be open from noon through 8 p.m. six days a week. The city anticipates serving 200 people per day, with a number of appointments dedicated for eligible Queens residents. The city says it will expand the hours as the vaccine supply increases.
De Blasio said that details about additional QPL sites will be announced in coming weeks.
“I’m thrilled to learn that Mayor de Blasio will open a COVID-19 vaccination site at the Flushing Library,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng in a statement. “I have been advocating for this and I am grateful the Mayor is delivering.”
Assembly Member Nily Rozic, who has been calling for vaccination sites in Flushing and eastern Queens for weeks, welcomed the announcement.
“Queens residents deserve access and close proximity to vaccination sites, and the QPL sites will go a long way toward increasing access,” Rozic said in a statement.
“Almost every neighborhood in the borough has a local QPL branch–this is a common-sense partnership and I look forward to seeing this site open in Flushing and increasing vaccination sites across Queens.”
Eligible New Yorkers can make an appointment at the site later this week at nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX-4NYC
