Governor Updates Health Care Staffing Following COVID Vaccine Mandate

Governor Kathy Hochul is providing an update on staffing in hospitals and other health care facilities following Monday’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate in New York state.

Hochul says as of Wednesday morning, 87-percent of hospital staff statewide are fully vaccinated, while 92-percent of nursing home staff have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.

The governor says no health care facilities have been reported closed since the mandate went into effect.

Within the SUNY system, all facilities have made operational adjustments to maintain critical services.

"Our greatest responsibility is to protect our most vulnerable, and ensuring that the health care workers who care for our loved ones are vaccinated is critical to keeping New Yorkers safe," Governor Hochul said.  "I am grateful to the facilities, unions, and health care workers who took important steps to prepare and protect New Yorkers, and we are working with facilities to ensure they remain operational. We will continue to monitor developments and work with stakeholders to troubleshoot any issues, and I stand ready to take additional action as needed."

A 24/7 Operations Center, led by the Department of Health, is monitoring staffing operations and trends statewide.

On Tuesday, Mohawk Valley Health System announced that 180 employees had been separated from MVHS,

Employees who have not been vaccinated have been put on unpaid leave of absence as of today, September 28, until Saturday, October 9.

If they return vaccinated by October 9, they will maintain their position and seniority.

If an employee does not show proof of vaccination by October 9, they’ll be let go.