During her Wednesday briefing in Albany, Governor Kathy Hochul urged everyone eligible to get vaccinated as we head into the fall and winter seasons and defended her vaccine mandate for all health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes.
The state issued the mandate on Aug. 28 requiring that all health care workers get at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked the state’s order on Sept. 14, after workers sued, claiming their Constitutional rights were being violated as the mandate disregarded religious exemptions.