NEW YORK — A new vaccination site will open in Co-op City in the Bronx on Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at his daily press briefing.

“The Bronx has been very hard hit by the COVID crisis,” he said on Tuesday. “Hospitals in the Bronx were among the hardest hit in the entire city. Communities felt deep, deep losses from the coronavirus in the Bronx. The Bronx is too often overlooked. We can't let that happen so we’re going to bring the vaccine to the people in the Bronx.”

Representative Jamaal Bowman, who represents north Bronx, also praised efforts to open the new site.

“While the numbers across the city and across the state have gone down, the numbers remain high—way too high—in this area of the Bronx,” said Bowman at the mayor’s press briefing.

The mayor also called on the state to update eligibility for the vaccine, including sanitation workers.

“Our sanitation workers who have been heroes just did amazing jobs during the snowstorm,” he said. “We depend on them. We need them to be healthy. We need to protect them.”

He also called for district attorneys and courtroom staff to be included in eligibility guidelines, including people who serve on juries.

“Our court systems are still not functioning,” he said. “That’s holding back the entire justice system. What should we do? Vaccinate.”

Lifeguards, board of elections staff, city inspectors, including buildings, housing and health, NYCHA frontline staff, and business and job center staff were also included in the mayor’s call for expanded eligibility.

On Tuesday, the number of reported COVID-19 cases on a seven-day average was 3,558 and the percentage of city residents testing positive on a seven-day average was 6.09%.