COVID Cases Up 1,000%; Health Care Workers Must Be Vaccinated

LONG ISLAND, NY — Just over a week before Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation becomes official, he announced Monday that all state health care workers must be vaccinated, with a first dose required by Sept. 27.

All health care workers in New York State, including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, adult care, and other congregate care settings, will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Cuomo said.

The State Department of Health will issue develop a policy mandating employee vaccinations, with limited exceptions for those with religious or medical reasons, he said.

As of Monday, 75 percent of the state's 450,000 hospital workers, 74 percent of the state's 30,000 adult care facility workers, and 68 percent of the state's 145,500 nursing home workers have been fully vaccinated, Cuomo said, adding that Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul's administration was briefed prior to the announcement.

Hochul will replace Cuomo next week in what both have said they hope is a seamless transition.

Cuomo said the need for vaccinations is critical as new cases of the coronavirus, fueled by the delta variant, continue to spike.

Daily positives are up more than 1,000 percent over the past six weeks, Cuomo said, with more than 80 percent of those new positives linked to the delta variant.

"We must now act again to stop the spread. Our healthcare heroes led the battle against the virus, and now we need them to lead the battle between the variant and the vaccine," he said.

Cuomo also urged private businesses to implement vaccinated-only admission policies — and school districts to mandate vaccinations for teachers.

Immunocompromised people can receive a third dose

Cuomo also announced Monday that the Department of Health has authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine dose for New Yorkers with compromised immune systems, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation last week. Eligible New Yorkers can receive their third dose 28 days after the completion of their two-dose vaccine series, effective immediately.

The CDC is currently recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose, including people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medications to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency, such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection;
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, cancer chemotherapy that causes severe immunosuppression, or other medications that may suppress immune response.

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker added: "This mandate will both help close the vaccination gap and reduce the spread of the Delta variant."

The mandate follows Cuomo's August 2 announcement that MTA and Port Authority employees working in New York facilities will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor Day, and his July 28 announcement that state employees and patient-facing employees in state-run hospitals will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor Day.

State employees who choose to remain unvaccinated will be required to undergo weekly COVID testing, he said.