Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - As hospitals scramble to ensure their employees receive the COVID vaccination before the Monday New York State COVID vaccine mandate deadline, one local hospital group is warning employees of serious ramifications if the deadline is not met.
Catholic Health, in a statement Friday, announced it will place any unvaccinated associates who have not received a medical exception or requested a religious exception on unpaid leave for 30 days.
Religious exemptions are not included in the mandate and are currently being litigated and on hold until at least October 12 or until courts issue a decision.
"Any unvaccinated Catholic Health associate who has not received a medical exemption or requested a religious exemption prior to 9:00 p.m. on September 26, 2021, will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence beginning on September 27, 2021 for a period of thirty days, after which time they will be subject to termination unless they meet the requirements of the mandate," the statement reads.
Catholic Health says 83 percent of its workforce is compliant with the mandate and vaccinations are continuing to be provided through the weekend.
Kaleida Health tells WBEN their workforce is 91 percent compliant and also continuing efforts to vaccinate more employees. Like Catholic Health, Kaleida is also grappling with the religious exemption issue.
"We have received religious exemption requests since last week's announcement," said Kaleida Senior Vice President Michael Hughes. "We are doing all that we can to compliantly and safely implement the mandate."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is standing firm on the Monday deadline and is aware of the legal challenges based on religious exemptions.
"No, that does not prohibit us from exercising this (mandate)," said Hochul. "That is a very limited class of individuals who are claiming that - I believe there are actually 14 or 17 plaintiffs in that case - a limited number of people. That has no bearing on our strict deadline of Monday."
