Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that the list of New Yorkers eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines will expand later this month to include people living with certain medical conditions.

Cuomo also put hospital staff who haven't received the COVID-19 vaccine on the clock at his briefing Friday.

They have one more week to get vaccinated, or those doses will be reallocated to local health departments to use for people with comorbidities beginning on Feb. 15.

Gov. Cuomo released the list of what conditions will be eligible for vaccination. It includes cancer, Down syndrome, heart conditions, severe obesity, diabetes and liver or kidney disease.

The governor says hospitals had eight weeks to get their staff vaccinated.

"Just hear this one number – 94% of the people who die from COVID-19 are people with comorbidities or other underlying conditions," he said at his briefing.

Gov. Cuomo says local governments have a week to prepare for the expansion.

Tom Wilson, of Bellport, is battling mouth cancer and respiratory ailments years after rushing to the World Trade Center on 9/11.

He and thousands of other 9/11 first responders are still fighting for their chance to get COVID vaccine shots, despite having preexisting conditions that put them at greater risk of death, should they become infected with the virus.

But now with the group of those eligible about to change, 9/11 first responders advocate John Feal says the green light should have been given sooner.

"Feb. 15 is still time away where people are still going to get sick and then we're not 100% confident because you have other strains of COVID now," says Feal.

About 40 9/11 first responders have died during the pandemic so far. Fellow first responders, including Wilson, are hopeful the COVID vaccine will give them a better shot at surviving the deadly virus.

"The vaccine would give me peace of mind, it will help me survive for my five children," says Wilson.