Governor Andrew Cuomo has made a surprising announcement in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to a press release, Governor Cuomo announced the next two groups of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. These next two groups will encompass all New Yorkers. Starting Tuesday, March 30 at 8 a.m., New Yorkers 30 years of age and older will be eligible for the vaccine. Starting Tuesday, April 6, New Yorkers 16 years of age and older will be eligible for the vaccine.

In a press release, Governor Cuomo said, "Today we take a monumental step forward in the fight to beat COVID. Beginning March 30, all New Yorkers age 30 or older will be able to be vaccinated, and all New Yorkers age 16 or older will be eligible on April 6, well ahead of the May 1 deadline set by the White House."

On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden announced that all Americans must be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. The eligibility timeline has been left up to the states' legislature. Cuomo allowing all New Yorkers 16 years of age and older to be eligible for the vaccine on April 6 puts New York State roughly three weeks ahead of the federal mandate.

Governor Cuomo has been sporadically announcing when new groups of people become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. On March 9, we reported that Governor Cuomo announced when New Yorkers 60 years of age and older were eligible as of March 10, 2021. On March 22, we reported that Cuomo announced New Yorkers 50 years of age and older became eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on March 23, 2021.

6 Tips For Getting a Vaccine Appointment in New York

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

More From Hudson Valley Post