Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to expand the healthcare worker vaccine mandate to areas like adult care facilities and home health agencies. Employees who work for long term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, hospice care, and diagnostic and treatment centers are also included.
Under the new directive, this new group of workers will be required to show proof of at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine series by November 1st, without a test-out option. Ahead of that requirement, staff in these settings will be required to submit to weekly testing, if unvaccinated, beginning October 12th.
The vaccine requirement that went into effect on September 27 applied only to covered personnel at facilities regulated by the Department of Health, including all hospitals and nursing homes. On October 7th, the vaccine requirement will take effect for covered personnel at the additional facilities regulated by the Department of Health.
This new requirement will apply to all individuals working at the psychiatric hospitals in the Office for Mental Health network, as well as those working at the specialty hospital certified by the Office for Persons With Developmental Disabilities.
Governor Hochul said she plans to continue expanding the vaccine requirement into the human service and mental hygiene care settings in the coming weeks, while also taking necessary steps to ensure staffing levels continue to be appropriate across those service systems.
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