New York is expanding the pool of people who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with all outpatient and ambulatory frontline health care workers who provide in-person patient care or have direct contact with patients will be eligible starting today for the vaccine. 

Next Monday, Jan. 11, home care workers and hospice workers will be eligible to receive the first dose of the vaccine, according to a state Department of Health guidance document. Staff of nursing home and skilled nursing facilities who did not receive the vaccine through the federal pharmacy partnership will also be eligible.

This is part of the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccines that are being rolled out across the country. Vaccination targets by the end of 2020 were not met nationally.

"Under phase 1A, New York is vaccinating front line hospital and other health care workers such as EMTs, along with nursing home and assisted living residents and staff, disabled residents living in congregate care facilities, hospice workers and home care workers who care for the elderly," said Jack Sterne, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

"Once we finish vaccinating the 2.1 million New Yorkers under Phase 1A, we will begin to vaccinate essential workers such as police officers as well as elderly New Yorkers under Phase 1B. We anticipate beginning to vaccinate the Phase 1B population later this month."