Health Care Workers in New York Must Get Vaccine, Cuomo Says

In his first major policy announcement since saying he would resign, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said New York health care workers must be vaccinated by Sept. 27.

Issuing a major directive in his last days in office, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday that all health care workers in the state, including staff at hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities and other congregate care settings, must get at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27. The state Health Department, Mr. Cuomo said in a news release, will issue special orders intended to prevent a “danger to the health of the people” to compel the health care workers to get vaccinated, with limited exceptions for those with religious objections or medical exemptions. He cited the trajectory of the more contagious Delta variant across the state and said, “We must now act again to stop the spread.” It was not clear if Mr. Cuomo’s new mandate would supersede Mayor Bill de Blasio’s less strict “vaccinate or test weekly” mandate for city health care workers.