In upstate New York, a hospital will no longer deliver babies later this month after it saw 30 staffers quit, protesting the facility's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Gerald Cayer, the CEO of Lewis County Health System, announced at a press conference that Lewis County General Hospital will be "unable to safely staff" the hospital's maternity department on Sept. 25.
Cayer said they had "no choice but to pause delivering babies at Lewis County General Hospital" because of the resignations they received.
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The mass exit from staffers came two weeks ago when the hospital revised its emergency regulation, making it mandatory for employees to get vaccinated. However, some medical exemptions are still permitted.
The policy change was due to the state's decision to have all health care workers partially vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 27.
21 of the 30 employees who resigned from the hospital worked in clinical areas, Cayer said. He went on to add that 464 individuals in the Lewis County Health System are vaccinated for a 73% vaccination rate for its employees.
The Lewis County Health system has 165 individuals who are still unvaccinated and have not yet said what their plans are before the Sept. 27 deadline to get the first shot.
Cayer said three employees have approved medical exemptions, and 12 plan to present a medical exemption. However, he added the hospital is still waiting to view that documentation.
Other clinical departments in the hospital are at risk because of how many unvaccinated individuals are working in those departments.
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The hospital currently has five individuals in quarantine, with five others in isolation and four community members hospitalized with the virus, according to Cayer.
With President Joe Biden's nationwide vaccine mandate sparking controversy, some expect the number of walkouts to continue.