NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday announced that the state’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers will soon extend to individuals who work in the Office of Mental Health and the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.
The expansion will require all OMH psychiatric hospital and OPWDD certified specialty hospital employees to have at least one vaccine dose by Nov. 1.
"Vaccine requirements work in getting people to do the right thing, and all professionals in health settings must take every basic precaution against COVID-19, including the vaccine, so they do not spread the virus to the people coming in for treatment," Hochul said. "We have an obligation to extend this assurance to those who need to receive mental health services and special care, which is why we are making the vaccine mandatory for all staff who work in these facilities that fall under State jurisdiction."
According to the governor, employees of both offices will not have a test-out option for the mandate.
Ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline, staff in those settings will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, if they are unvaccinated, beginning Oct. 12, Hochul said.
The vaccine requirement that went into effect of Sept. 27 for New York State healthcare workers applied only to covered personnel at facilities regulated by the New York State Department of Health.
Gov. Hochul has said she plans to continue expanding the vaccine requirement into the human service and mental hygiene care settings in the coming weeks.
OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan noted that she was on board with the mandate.
“Many of the people OMH serves have underlying medical conditions that make them far more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus,” she said. “The vaccine has proven to be safe and effective and will protect our patients and employees as well as our families and communities. I urge everyone to get the vaccine and I applaud Governor Hochul for extending the mandate.”
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