Cuomo Wants Teachers Vaccinated Or Tested Weekly

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — New York's largest teachers union said Monday it would go along with a policy recommendation requiring teachers to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested once a week for the coronavirus.

The idea came from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who urged local school districts to set such a policy during his Monday morning coronavirus briefing.

He also announced that MTA and Port Authority workers in New York are the next group of public employees to face mandatory vaccinations or weekly testing for the coronavirus as of Labor Day.

He was building on his policy announcement last week that, following a similar move in the federal government, all state employees must be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing and all state hospital employees who deal with the public must be vaccinated, with no testing option.

In response, New York State United Teachers said they could support programs like that. "We would support local efforts to encourage more vaccinations, such as through programs that require that those who are not vaccinated get tested on a regular basis," NYSUT said in a statement Monday afternoon.

However, union leaders remain opposed to a mandatory vaccination policy — and that's something Cuomo sees coming.

"Mandatory vaccination for teachers if the numbers go up. Why? Teachers are in front of a classroom. How many kids does a teacher interact with during the course of a day? Thirty, forty, a hundred, hundred and fifty? That child can get the virus and go home," he said. "Why shouldn't the teacher be vaccinated? If the teacher doesn't want to be vaccinated, fine, but then don't be in front of a classroom. If the numbers go up."

Here is NYSUT's statement:

We have advocated since the beginning of the year that any educator who wants a vaccine should have easy access to one. We would support local efforts to encourage more vaccinations, such as through programs that require that those who are not vaccinated get tested on a regular basis. But it’s critical that districts come up with plans to make testing available on-site and at no cost. What we have not supported is a vaccine mandate.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week recommended that everyone in schools from K-12 wear a mask, whether or not they are vaccinated.

Also, the CDC revised its guidance to say that in areas where the Delta variant is causing a spike in numbers and vaccination rates are low, even fully vaccinated people should mask up indoors. SEE: Higher COVID-19 Transmission Risk In The Hudson Valley: CDC

The delta variant is creating the "serious" situation, Cuomo said, citing the news from the CDC Friday that researchers have found vaccinated people can spread the virus.

In New York, new cases increased fourfold over a month and COVID-19 hospitalizations doubled due to the delta variant, Cuomo said.

"If you are unvaccinated, it's a major concern," he said. Seventy-five percent of New Yorkers have gotten at least one vaccine shot, but 24 percent, or 3.5 million, remain unvaccinated.

He urged county governments with high transmission rates of the coronavirus to follow the Centers for Disease Control's new guidance on mask-wearing indoors. Plus, he urged businesses such as bars and restaurants in communities with higher transmission rates to voluntarily go to vaccine-only admission now.

"I don't believe a mask policy is to be to be enough. I think we're going to have to talk about a vaccination policy," Cuomo warned. "Everything should be on the table because if these numbers rise quickly it can't be that we aren't ready."

If transmission rates don't come down, New York should consider mandatory vaccines for nursing home workers, he said.

Patch Editor Lisa Finn contributed to this report.