8.2.21 COVID-19 Bulletin: Cuomo Makes Recommendations on Vaccination Efforts
Blog Categories
August 2, 2021
Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo made recommendations on efforts to increase vaccination rates, noting rising case numbers and concerns about the Delta variant. Since the Governor’s pandemic emergency powers have expired, the Governor urged local governments and private employers to take matters into their own hands.
Governor Cuomo encouraged private employers to adopt vaccinated-only admission policies to their establishments. At this time, this is not a legal mandate: the Governor believes that this optional, grassroots enforcement style may serve as a powerful incentive for vaccination.
He suggested that public-facing high-risk employees should be mandated by their employers to get the vaccine, pointing out that he imposed this requirement for state-run hospital workers.
Cuomo would like to see a requirement for other public-facing workers to either show proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing. He announced that MTA and Port Authority employees will now have a vaccine or test requirement.
Moving forward, Cuomo plans to “watch the numbers but keep all options on the table.” If COVID-19 numbers worsen, Cuomo floated the idea of requiring nursing home workers, teachers, and private healthcare workers to be vaccinated.
The Governor also called on local governments to follow new CDC masking guidance based on transmission levels in their jurisdiction. Cuomo noted that without his emergency powers, New York could not impose a statewide mask mandate without an act of the Legislature.
The BNP will continue to keep you informed with any COVID-19 updates. For information on returning to the workplace or preparing your organization for COVID-19 vaccines, visit our COVID-19 Resources page.
*******
The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is committed to providing employers with the latest information and resources to help you deal with COVID-19 and its impact on our community, state and nation. Visit our Events and Resource pages as they are updated regularly to provide you with the most current information.
Do you have specific questions related to running your business or your business unit? Visit the BNP Business Link, a question and answer forum for, and by, the Buffalo Niagara business community. Submit your questions and get expert answers on just about any topic from legal, IT, HR, NYS regulations, sales, marketing, communications and more. It is quick, confidential, powerful and convenient.
Related Posts
4 New HR Mandates Employers Need to Know
New employee rights are among the key policy revisions to come out of the 2024-25 New York State budget approved in April. At the BNP’s latest Government Affairs series event, a panel of experts broke down what employers need to know about these HR mandates – some of have already gone into effect. Here are four key takeaways from Policy Perspective.
BNP Hosts County Executive Candidates
In preparation for the 2023 elections, the BNP hosted an Erie County Executive Candidate Forum. Both candidates for Erie County’s highest office – incumbent Mark Poloncarz and challenger Chrissy Casilio – were given 45 minutes to address BNP members in a guided discussion.
Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse Region Can Become America’s Semiconductor Superhighway
After years of relentless advocacy to bolster Upstate NY’s innovation and manufacturing industries, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins announced the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region have joined forces with a proposal to become a federally-designated Tech Hub in the first-of-its-kind nationwide competition created in his CHIPS & Science Bill.
How the U.S. Is Closing the Door to Top Talent
The BNP organized a Capital Conversations event as part of our Government Affairs series to examine the workings of the H-1B program and explore potential reforms that could strengthen our regional economy.