Northwell says he fired two dozen workers who refused to be vaccinated

Northwell Health said Monday it fired about two dozen “unvaccinated executives” who refused to receive COVID-19 vaccines required under a warrant, amid a standoff between state officials and some medical workers was heading for a midnight deadline.

The state is demanding that all healthcare workers in hospitals and nursing homes receive at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by midnight Monday. The warrant was issued by former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on August 1.

Northwell said in a statement he contacted “a few hundred” employees last week to remind them of the mandate. Unvaccinated leaders are at or above management level, the health care provider said.

“We are now beginning the process of discharging the rest of our unvaccinated staff,” the statement said. “Northwell wants to reassure the public that during this time there will be no impact on the quality of patient care at any of our facilities. We are proud that our staff are already nearly 100% vaccinated. ”

Northwell is the state’s largest healthcare system.

Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday she was assuming emergency powers to bring in the National Guard, retired medics and others from outside the region to replace hospital staff who refused to attend. get vaccinated.

“We have sounded the alarm,” she said during a press briefing. “We have a group of people who want to help.”

Hochul needs the executive order to address issues such as out-of-state workers validating their medical licenses for use in New York City, she said.

“I hope I don’t have to. I don’t have to do it if people are going to get vaccinated. There are a lot of hours left in the day. But I also know I have to be prepared,” said Hochul.

“We are not giving in. We are not backing down. It is important,” she added. The hospital leaders “thanked me for being firm in this regard.”

Hochul implements the warrant, even though it was commissioned by Cuomo. She supports him, saying people who enter healthcare facilities deserve to know that they will not be infected by workers with COVID-19.

Workers opposing it said the warrant violated their personal freedom or religious beliefs, or had doubts about the side effects of the shootings. Hochul, supported by most medical experts, said the injections have been shown to be safe and save lives and prevent serious illness.

When asked on Monday whether nurses will have to take on extra duties and work overtime if food service workers, guards and others refuse to be vaccinated, Hochul said it was likely.

“It’s a concern… My heart breaks for the nurses and the others who have done the right thing,” she said. “They have to work harder and they are going to have to make more sacrifices. This is fundamentally unfair, and we are going to have to call in people to help at all levels, there is no doubt about that.”

Hochul said that – assuming there is no last-minute rush among workers to get vaccinated – the state would be in contact with hospitals and care homes on Monday and Monday evening to determine where the staff will be needed on Tuesday and how it will be deployed.

She rejected the arguments of opponents of the vaccine.

“It has been proven to be safe. The vaccine has been out for a long time now,” she said. “There are no legitimate religious exemptions because the leaders of all organized religions have said there is no legitimate reason” not to be shot.

She predicted that the state would win legal challenges to the mandate.

For those who refuse the vaccine, they are unlikely to receive unemployment benefits, the state said over the weekend.

The state’s Department of Labor said on Saturday that employees at health facilities, nursing homes and schools who quit or have been made redundant would not be eligible for unemployment insurance “in the absence of a valid housing application “. The only exemption would be for those who have “a valid, physician-approved request for medical accommodation.”

Workers in adult care facilities, hospice facilities and home care facilities have until Oct. 7 to get at least one first dose.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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