New York Health Care Workers | Vaccine or gate

Richard Hate
Special contribution

However: As head of the Empire State since August 24, Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday pledged to strictly enforce the vaccine obligation, announced by her resigned ancestor Andrew Cuomo on August 16.

“This is not a role I appreciate. But, in fact, I know there are people who do not return to their jobs,” she told a news conference in the Bronx.

There are over 450,000 hospital health workers in New York State. According to the latest official data, 84% of them have been fully vaccinated against Kovid-19. Of the 145,000 workers in organizations for the elderly, the proportion of vaccinated is slightly lower: 81%.

New York State Nurses Union support, other unions representing support workers have been critical of the immunization requirement. Health care workers also challenged in court on their behalf. According to them, this measure is an encroachment on religious or personal freedom.

A week of relief

At Big Apple, this measure should not lead to immediate deletions. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that vaccinated employees of public hospitals in the city can take advantage of the week to receive the first dose without fear of being out of work. He said he hopes they will return to their post later.

Government hospitals in New York City employ nearly 50,000 people, 10% of whom are not vaccinated. Although no significant staff shortages were reported Monday in public or private companies in the megalopolis, adjustments may be needed in the coming days, especially in intensive care units and operating theaters.

For her, Governor Hochul already announced last week his intention to declare a state of emergency and deploy National Guard soldiers in some hospitals if necessary. She said she was also willing to call in nurses who have retired or been recruited from abroad, including the Philippines and Ireland, to address staff shortages.

But on Monday, she specifically pleaded resistance to vaccination.

“For those who have not yet made this decision, please make the right choice,” she said. We have a lot of facilities. Many of your employers are interested in giving you a dose and let you know that you are part of the family. We need your help to continue. ”

Last minute vaccinations

The deadline seems to have convinced many resistance combatants. In the Bronx, the proportion of employees who received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital was reported to have risen from 88% on Friday to 94% on Monday morning. Many of the newly vaccinated workers were injected at the pharmacy over the weekend.

On Monday, Governor Hochul also reported on the increase in the number of vaccinated health care workers in the state, especially in the south. It will take some time before we can make an accurate picture of the new situation in New York as a whole.

However, John Mattland should not be expected to leave resistance combatants. In recent weeks, this medical imaging technician at Staten Island Teaching Hospital has become the face of COVID-19 vaccine resistance among health care workers in New York City.

On Monday morning, he told Fox News that he had religious reasons to justify refusing to be vaccinated. And he blamed Governor Hochul for harming the health of New Yorkers.

“It’s a terrible situation,” the 36-year-old said. ” [La vaccination obligatoire] It has to happen in the name of health, but it does not help health at all. This can contribute to a bigger problem as the time of year approaches when people get sick. They have no staff to deal with the situation. ”