NEW YORK SEES BOOST IN HEALTH WORKER VACCINATIONS FOLLOWING MANDATE

New York’s mandate for health workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has boosted the industry’s vaccination rate, and has not resulted in widespread facility closures and mass resignations like some state officials feared.

The requirement for hospital and nursing home staff took effect at the beginning of this week. According to state data, 87 percent of hospital staff were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, and 92 percent were partially vaccinated. Similarly, 92 percent of nursing home staff had received at least one vaccine dose.

State officials had been bracing for staffing shortages in advance of the mandate taking effect on Monday.

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last week outlined a plan to deal with potential staffing shortfalls in facilities, including deploying medically trained members of the National Guard or declaring a state of emergency to allow health care professionals licensed in other states or countries to practice in New York.

But Hochul said no facilities have closed since the mandate went into effect.

​​Staff at other institutions including home care, hospice and adult care facilities must be vaccinated by Thursday.