8.2.21 COVID-19 Bulletin: Cuomo Makes Recommendations on Vaccination Efforts
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Josh Veronica
August 2, 2021
Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo made recommendations on efforts to increase vaccination rates, noting rising case numbers and concerns about the Delta variant. Since the Governor’s pandemic emergency powers have expired, the Governor urged local governments and private employers to take matters into their own hands.
Governor Cuomo encouraged private employers to adopt vaccinated-only admission policies to their establishments. At this time, this is not a legal mandate: the Governor believes that this optional, grassroots enforcement style may serve as a powerful incentive for vaccination.
He suggested that public-facing high-risk employees should be mandated by their employers to get the vaccine, pointing out that he imposed this requirement for state-run hospital workers.
Cuomo would like to see a requirement for other public-facing workers to either show proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing. He announced that MTA and Port Authority employees will now have a vaccine or test requirement.
Moving forward, Cuomo plans to “watch the numbers but keep all options on the table.” If COVID-19 numbers worsen, Cuomo floated the idea of requiring nursing home workers, teachers, and private healthcare workers to be vaccinated.
The Governor also called on local governments to follow new CDC masking guidance based on transmission levels in their jurisdiction. Cuomo noted that without his emergency powers, New York could not impose a statewide mask mandate without an act of the Legislature.
The BNP will continue to keep you informed with any COVID-19 updates. For information on returning to the workplace or preparing your organization for COVID-19 vaccines, visit our COVID-19 Resources page.
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The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is committed to providing employers with the latest information and resources to help you deal with COVID-19 and its impact on our community, state and nation. Visit our Events and Resource pages as they are updated regularly to provide you with the most current information.
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