New York’s Covid-19 vaccine mandates are working, officials say

New York Governor Kathy Hochul says a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for health workers that went into effect this week is working to boost vaccination rates, providing a road map to other states that are trying to fight the highly transmissible delta variant.

About 92% of nursing home staff in New York had received at least one vaccine dose as of Monday evening, up from 70% on Aug. 15, before the vaccine mandate was announced, according to the governor’s office. And 84% of hospital staff were fully inoculated as of Sept. 22, up from 77% on Aug. 10, according to state data.

Health-care workers statewide were required to get at least their first dose of the vaccine by Sept. 27, as the state continues to battle a rise in Covid cases, especially among unvaccinated people. Those who refuse the shot or who don’t receive an exemption face termination.