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New mandates to fight spread of COVID-19
Governor Andrew Cuomo is getting tough on vaccination, saying all state employees will have to get the shot or face rigorous testing protocols.
NEW YORK - New York will require all state employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by Labor Day or undergo weekly tests for COVID-19 while "front-line" workers at state-owned hospitals will not have the test option, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
"It’s smart, it’s fair and it’s in everyone’s interest," Cuomo said in a Zoom call with the nonprofit Association for a Better New York.
In mandating either the shots, or frequent testing for government workers, Cuomo is following on the heels of California and New York City, which announced similar policies for employees earlier this week.
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Anger at the unvaccinated
As COVID-19 cases surge around the country and the CDC recommends the return of indoor masking in hotspot areas, even for the vaccinated, many people are running out of patience.
New York, like other states, has seen a rising number of coronavirus cases linked to the Delta variant. New infections have climbed more than 400% since the end of June.
Cuomo said vaccines would be mandatory for "front-line" workers at state-owned hospitals. Those employees would not be able to avoid inoculations by undergoing frequent virus testing. The state runs hospitals in Syracuse and New York City and on Long Island.
The Democrat said his administration still needed to speak with union officials about how to implement the policy. Some unions representing government workers in New York City have objected to the "get vaccinated or get tested" mandate there, which is set to take effect in mid-September.
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New York hospitalizations creeping up
COVID-19 hospitalizations are once again surging in some states, including Florida and Louisiana. Hospitalizations in the New York area are creeping up at a much slower pace but some doctors say the trend is still alarming. Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Monmouth County admitted several new COVID-19 patients on Tuesday.
In reaction to Cuomo's announcement, the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association said, "The NYSTPBA was caught off guard by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s abrupt announcement regarding mandatory vaccinations or weekly Covid-19 tests for state employees."
The NYSTPBA is now reviewing its legal options.
Requests for comment were sent to several unions representing large numbers of state employees.
While overall rates of infection in New York remain much lower than they were over the winter, the voluntary vaccination campaign here has stalled, as it has in much of the U.S.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that New York City will sweeten the pot by offering $100 to any city resident who gets a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine at a city-run site.
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CDC revises mask guidance
The CDC now says that even vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging. Scientists cited new information about the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people.
"We’ll say thank you," the mayor said at a virtual news briefing. "We’ll say we’re really glad that you got vaccinated for yourself, for your family, for your community, and here’s $100 to thank you for doing the right thing and to encourage people."
New York City and the state have already offered vaccination incentives including lottery tickets, scholarships, free subway rides and complimentary tickets to museums, sports games and other attractions.
Other locales, including the state of New Mexico and the city of Gadsden, Alabama, also have offered $100 cash payments. Others have offered a more limited version — Ohio is offering $100 gift cards to Medicaid members who get inoculated, and West Virginia is providing $100 savings bonds to 16-to-35-year-olds who do so.
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COVID breakthrough cases
Dr. Dave Chokshi says that there is a slightly higher rate of breakthrough cases among the vaccinated.
President Joe Biden is considering requiring federal employees to show proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing and wear a mask. A growing number of hospitals and nursing homes across the U.S. have been mandating vaccines for workers.
With the Associated Press