NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced that there has been a 3% workforce reduction in healthcare staff throughout New York State since the vaccine mandates took effect.
On Friday, New York’s vaccine mandate for all home healthcare workers took effect, requiring that all those who work in the home healthcare field receive at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The directive came just a few weeks after the mandate for all hospital and healthcare workers took effect on Sept. 27.
While there have been several attempts to block the mandates from going into effect, unless a worker has a valid medical or religious exemption, all healthcare workers must get vaccinated or potentially face losing their jobs.
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Since both mandates went into effect, Hochul noted that there has been a decline in the active workforce – but stressed that the number could change over time.
“We are at a 3% total workforce reduction in these categories … that includes hospitals, nursing homes [and] home care. We also have about 0.5% who are still waiting to get vaccinated, who are in the category, and they have plans to get vaccines too,” the governor said.
Hochul said the reduction includes those who have been terminated, submitted resignations, chosen to retire and on furlough, “waiting to see the outcome of the litigation.”
The governor did note that 97% of active staff in New York State nursing homes have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 96% of active staff in hospitals and adult care facilities have also gotten their first shots.
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Hochul boasted that the numbers were much greater than when she took office on Aug. 24.
“I think the numbers speak for themselves,” the governor said of vaccine mandates.
While on the topic of vaccinations, Hochul also took a moment to encourage eligible New Yorkers to get their booster shots.
“Let’s get people boosted for boosters,” Hochul said. “There’s not reason not to do this, the lines are not long – it is such a different dynamic from what we dealt with last year when there was such a scarcity of supply.”
The governor also stressed that every New York resident should get their flu shot and paused her press conference to receive hers.
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