New York, New York - New York is opening up Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to anyone over 30 years old starting Tuesday and dropping the age limit to 16 a week later, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.

The surprise announcement comes just days after the governor expressed hesitancy over opening up eligibility. The Empire State was one of a handful of states yet to lay out a timeline for all adults after President Joe Biden set a May 1 deadline.

Cuomo called the move a "monumental step."

Currently, those eligible must be over 50, working certain qualified jobs or have underlying health conditions. The state has been slowly opening up inoculations to more and more New Yorkers in recent weeks as federal supplies increased.

Those who are eligible can schedule appointments at state-run vaccination sites on New York’s "Am I Eligible" website or by calling the state’s Covid-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

New Yorkers can also call their local health department, pharmacy, doctor or hospital for additional information and to schedule appointments where vaccines are available.

So far, the state has administered more than 9 million doses of vaccine and roughly 16.8% of the population are now fully immunized against coronavirus.

The major announcement was made via a press release, an unusually muted approach for a governor who became a national star early on in the pandemic.

But Cuomo is facing a firestorm of criticism over sexual harassment allegations and other scandals that have engulfed his administration in recent weeks.

The governor’s conduct is being probed by independent attorneys working under the attorney general and the Assembly has launched an impeachment investigation.

Federal prosecutors are looking at the administration’s handling of Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes and questions have been raised about whether officials sought to obfuscate the true toll of the virus.

Cuomo has remained focused on expanding vaccinations, appearing at several pop-up sites with supporters in recent weeks as calls for his resignation have grown into a chorus of critics from both sides of the aisle.

In his statement Monday, the governor again said the state will attempt to increase vaccine access in minority communities and said safety measures are still important as New York and neighboring New Jersey are back atop the list of states with the highest rates of infection.

"As we continue to expand eligibility, New York will double down on making the vaccine accessible for every community to ensure equity, particularly for communities of color who are too often left behind," he said.

"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but until we get there it is more important than ever for each and every New Yorker to wear a mask, socially distance and follow all safety guidelines."

New York is second to New Jersey in new infections per capita in the U.S. as the country as a whole has seen another resurgence of Covid-19 cases over the past week.

The number of people hospitalized with the virus in New York has plateaued around 4,600 since mid-March. New Jersey hospitals are reporting about 2,200 virus patients – up by roughly 300 in the past couple of weeks, The Associated Press noted.

According to Cuomo, the statewide positivity rate is 4.13% and the state recorded another 57 Covid-related deaths on Sunday.