NEW YORK, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- New York City's COVID-19 test positivity rate on a seven-day average went down to 8.18 percent, compared with 8.77 percent one day earlier, Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted on Monday.

Meanwhile, de Blasio said that there were 247 new hospital admissions and 4,904 new cases of the coronavirus, adding that "Keep practicing safety rules. Keep your masks on. Keep each other safe."

"Vaccine Hubs and 24/7 Mega Vaccination Sites are now up and running across our city. This is the turning point in our fight against COVID-19. Eligible New Yorkers can make a free vaccination appointment now," he said in another tweet.

Starting on Monday, New Yorkers within priority group 1B can begin scheduling appointments with individual providers, including pharmacies, local health departments, and hospitals, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the state government announced.

Those now eligible to receive the vaccine include individuals 75 and older, first responders, public safety officers, teachers and other school staff, in-person college instructors, childcare workers, public-facing grocery store workers, transit workers and individuals living and working in homeless shelters, it added.

As of Sunday afternoon, the coronavirus deaths added up to 25,562 and confirmed cases to 478,167 in NYC, according to The City, a project that tracks the spread of confirmed COVID-19 infections and fatalities in New York City, based on information provided by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the governor's office, The COVID Tracking Project and the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Enditem

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