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New York will mandate COVID-19 vaccines or weekly testing for state workers

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New York state employees and patient-facing health care workers at state-run hospitals and facilities will be required to get vaccinated by Labor Day or take mandatory COVID-19 tests each week.

By Francis TangSenior Staff Writer

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New York state employees will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or perform weekly testing for the virus.

Approximately 130,000 state employees will be required to get vaccinated by Labor Day or take mandatory COVID-19 tests each week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. 

“New Yorkers have displayed tremendous dedication and resilience to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic across the state, but vaccination rates aren’t keeping pace with the Delta variant and we need to act now,” Cuomo said.

Patient-facing health care workers at state-run hospitals and facilities will also have to get vaccinated by Labor Day without a testing alternative, according to the announcement. 



This mandate will include the following state-run hospitals and facilities: 

  • Stony Brook University Hospital
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital
  • SUNY Downstate Medical Center
  • Long Island Veterans Home at Stony Brook
  • Helen Hayes Hospital
  • SUNY College of Optometry
  • Montrose Veterans Home
  • St. Albans Veterans Home
  • Oxford Veterans Home
  • Batavia Veterans Home

Positive cases for COVID-19 in New York state have been slightly rising since early July, according to data by Johns Hopkins University. 

Cuomo allocated $15 million from the New York state budget to expand COVID-19 outreach efforts and promote vaccination.

The decision to require vaccination for state employees comes as President Joe Biden is considering mandating COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees, Cuomo said. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that all city employees are required to be vaccinated by Sept. 13 or get tested weekly.

“Our health care heroes have led the way all through this terrible crisis, so let’s get vaccinated, save lives and beat this beast for once and for all,” Cuomo said.

The city of Syracuse is considering a similar mandate for its employees, syracuse.com reported Wednesday. 





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