NY State Employees Need To Get Vaccinated Or Face Weekly Tests

NEW YORK, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that all New York state employees must get vaccinated — or undergo weekly tests — and that all patient-facing state health care workers are mandated to get the vaccine without the testing option.

State employees have until Labor Day to get the vaccine.

"It’s smart, it’s fair and it’s in everyone’s interest,” Cuomo said during a virtual news conference Wednesday. “I think we need dramatic action to get control of this situation. So in New York, and in our state hospitals, all patient-facing health care workers must get vaccinated. There will be no testing option for patient-facing health care workers."

Cuomo said that his administration is still reviewing the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks indoors.

He did recommend, though, that local governments in areas with a high virus rate should strongly consider the new guidance.

The governor also noted that schools in affected areas should strongly consider taking more aggressive action if the case numbers continue to go up so they don't become superspreader environments when class resumes in September.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday that New York City schools will stick with face masks for vaccinated and unvaccinated students alike for the upcoming school year.

He said Wednesday the city is also reviewing the new CDC mask guidance.

"We got it less than 24 hours ago and it is complicated information," de Blasio said. "So, our health team is reviewing it, and we'll have more to say on in the next few days."

"There is no doubt that the delta variant is real," Cuomo said, before putting up a graphic that compared the 2,303 new COVID-19 cases reported Wednesday to the 275 daily cases reported on June 28.