NEW YORK — On Wednesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul provided an update on health care facility staff following the implementation of New York State's COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers.
According to the state, no facilities have closed since the mandate went into effect.
"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," 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."
The Department of Health is directing a 24/7 Operations Center to monitor staffing trends statewide and provided guidance to facilities that run into issues.
In the SUNY system, facilities have made adjustments to maintain necessary services. As of Wednesday morning, the state reports that 87% of hospital staff in the state are fully vaccinated.
The governor also released preliminary data Tuesday on the state's health care staff overall vaccination rate.
