New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) on Monday reiterated her intent to likely deploy the National Guard to supplement staff at hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities seeing shortages due to the state’s order mandating all employees be vaccinated, lest they be suspended or fired.
“Gov. Hochul said this weekend she was prepared to call in medically trained National Guard members and retirees, or vaccinated workers from outside the state, to fill any gaps,” News 8 WROC reported. “The governor reiterated that sentiment during Monday morning’s press conference, adding that she would sign an executive order to authorize the National Guard resources should they be needed.”
More than an estimated 100,000-plus health care workers remain unvaccinated as the order takes effect on facilities already facing a nursing shortage.
News 8 WROC noted that the dictate doesn’t just apply to doctors and nurses, “but also to others who work in health care institutions, like food service workers, administrators and cleaners.”
Workers who refuse to get the COVID vaccine, and are therefore fired under the mandate, will not be eligible for unemployment insurance, with slim exception.
Despite the order’s dismissal of religious exemptions, a judge last week extended a ban pertaining to health care workers seeking a religious exemption from the mandate, The Daily Wire reported:
The restraining order was pushed back another two weeks; now health care and longterm care employees in the state seeking a religious exemption can remain unvaccinated until at least October 12, and keep their jobs.
“Breaking: federal judge extends the temporary ban on the NYS vaccine mandate for health care industry workers claiming a religious exemption until October 12th,” News 10 NBC reporter Berkeley Brean said Tuesday. “Then the order could turn into a preliminary injunction.”
In an accompanying video, Brean explained that if the order turns into a preliminary injunction, those seeking a religious exemption to the vaccine in NY will be allowed the exemption for as long as the case pends.
Notably, on Sunday, Hochul told churchgoers at a service in the Bronx that Christians who are not vaccinated are disobeying God, The Daily Wire reported:
“Yes, I know you’re vaccinated, you’re the smart ones, but you know, there are people out there who aren’t listening to God and what God wants,” Hochul said at a Christian Cultural Center service. “You know, this, you know who they are.”
“I need you to be my apostles, I need you to go out and talk about it and say, we owe this to each other,” the Democrat continued. “We love each other. Jesus taught us to love one another. And how do you show that love, but to care about each other enough to say, please get vaccinated because I love you. I want you to live.”
Related: Democrat Gov. Hochul Says Un-Vaxxed Christians ‘Aren’t Listening To God,’ ‘God Wants’ You Vaccinated
Related: Judge Extends Ban On NY Order Mandating Medical Workers Be Vaccinated Or Lose Their Job