- Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Saturday that New York workers who are fired for refusing to get vaccinated won’t be eligible for unemployment insurance
- The announcement comes two days for Monday’s deadline for New York City teachers and state health care workers to get the vaccine
- The teachers took the mandate to court, and a federal judge sided with the teachers and temporarily blocked NYC from enforcing the vaccine mandate
- The case was referred to a three-judge panel, and a final decision is expected this week
New York state workers who are fired for refusing to get vaccinated are not eligible for unemployment insurance, Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Saturday – just two days before the deadline for workers to get the jab.
New York City teachers and state health care workers in hospitals and nursing homes have to prove that they received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday.
The only exception to the vaccine mandate is a valid, doctor-approved request for medical accommodation.
The governor made the ramifications clear during Saturday’s announcement of a contingency plan to address potential staffing shortages in hospitals and other health care facilities statewide.
Hochul specifically referred to hospital workers, but New York City is bracing for a similar situation, with about 13 percent of roughly 78,000 teachers are currently not vaccinated, an education department official said on Twitter.