Bloomberg
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for New York’s healthcare workers will no longer allow exemptions for religious reasons, state officials ruled last week.
The Public Health and Health Planning Council voted unanimously Thursday to authorize the mandate and eliminated a planned option for religious exemptions. Instead, only medical exemptions will be permitted.
State Department of Health officials cited the growing number of COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious delta variant as a reason for the decision.
“We’re not constitutionally required to provide religious exemptions,” Vanessa Murphy, a Health Department attorney, told the health council Thursday. “You see that with the measles and the mumps requirement for healthcare workers.”
Religious exemptions that had been granted will be revoked, and those under review will be stopped, Murphy said. The new regulations took effect immediately and expire in 90 days, unless renewed by the Health Department.
Originally announced Aug. 16 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the vaccine mandate applies to workers at healthcare facilities across the state, including nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers and home care agencies.
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The amended mandate allows for medical exemptions if a licensed physician or nurse practitioner certifies that the vaccine would be “detrimental” to the staff member’s health based on a pre-existing condition.
Nonexempt hospital and nursing home employees must receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27. Other healthcare workers must do so by Oct. 7.
Source link : https://www.modernhealthcare.com/labor/new-york-nixes-religious-exemption-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-healthcare-workers
