New York City wants to offer tourists free COVID-19 vaccines as it prepares for a full reopening this summer

• Mayor Bill de Blasio said he wants to offer tourists in NYC free coronavirus vaccines.
• The plan, which still needs state approval, involves giving the one-shot J&J vaccine at tourist sites.
• De Blasio has said the city plans to fully reopen on July 1.

New York City could start offering coronavirus vaccines to tourists as it prepares to fully reopen for the summer, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

He said on Thursday that mobile vaccination centers could be set up at major attractions like Central Park to give tourists the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, The Wall Street Journal reported.

He said that the move would encourage people to visit the city, telling them: "Come here, it's safe, it's a great place to be, and we're going to take care of you."

The plan would need approval from New York state, and de Blasio said the state's rules would have to be changed to give shots to people who don't live or work in the state, NBC New York reported.

De Blasio said his team is working on a plan with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the report said. Insider has contacted Cuomo's office for comment.

De Blasio announced last month that the city plans to fully reopen on July 1. Cuomo announced this week that Broadway, restaurants, and shops will return with most restrictions lifted on May 2019.