Home care workers and NYPD personnel and correctional officers who work in direct emergency response or medical roles are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Wednesday, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio. 

There are 25,000 NYPD personnel who are now eligible to receive the initial dose after the state gave confirmation of expanded eligibility for the entire "1A" classification of frontline workers, the mayor said at his daily press briefing on Wednesday.

“As of yesterday, we got the approval to vaccinate them, and we’re going to go intensely into that work particularly through our Health + Hospitals locations,” Mayor de Blasio said.

The city’s goal is to vaccinate 10,000 NYPD personnel by Sunday.

The hospital rate per 100,000 people for NYC is at 4.21% and current new cases reached 3,845. The seven-day average positivity rate for the city is 9.25%.

The mayor and health commissioner also urged the state to immediately expand eligibility for everyone over 75 years old. The COVID-19 positivity rate in the most recent week is nearly 12% for people over 75 years old, according to Dr. Dave Chokshi. 

An even larger part of the population will be eligible for the vaccine under the "1B" phase that includes first responders like police officers and firefighters, as well as teachers and people 75 and older. 

After everyone willing to receive the vaccine in the “1A” category has been reached, eligibility will then move to the “1B” category, which includes education workers, public transit workers and people over 75 years old. transit workers and people over 75 years old.