Governor Kathy Hochul said regulations are being developed to mandate that health care workers in mental health facilities and prisons in New York be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Hochul, speaking at a news briefing Thursday, said the regulations will be announced in the near future.
This new set of health care workers would join the ranks of staffers at hospitals and nursing homes who were required to receive at least one dose of the vaccination by midnight Monday or face losing their jobs under a state mandate. While the majority of hospital and nursing home workers have been vaccinated, hundreds have been fired or furloughed for refusing to get the shot.
Hochul said the current vaccine mandate was issued through the state Department of Health and only covered facilities that agency regulates.
People opposed to the mandate, including some who filed lawsuits, have argued that the order infringed on their personal freedom or religious beliefs, or they had concerns about the side effects of the shots.
Most medical experts say the shots are safe and are the only way to end the pandemic.
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