New York must allow religious exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandate, judge rules

A U.S. judge on Tuesday ruled that New York state cannot impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on healthcare workers without allowing for religious exemption requests.

The decision by U.S. District Judge David Hurd in Albany, New York prevents the state from interfering with religious exemptions requests.

Seventeen workers sued over the mandate, alleging their employer revoked an exemption or refused to consider it because of the state's emergency vaccine requirement, which was announced on Aug. 26.