Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced today that MTA and Port Authority employees working in New York facilities will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly starting Labor Day. Employee-only vaccination sites that previously closed as usage dropped will be reopened while those that remained open will continue to operate. Nine new vaccination sites will open in locations with a high concentration of state employees to make getting vaccinated as convenient as possible for those who haven’t been yet.
“Everybody is talking about mask policies right now, but I don’t believe a mask policy is going to be enough – we need to talk about a vaccination policy,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ve taken the first step by mandating that all state employees get the vaccine or get tested weekly, and we’re expanding on that by requiring all MTA and Port Authority workers to do so as well. The state is leading the way, but local governments, schools, public hospitals and even businesses should start considering mandatory vaccinations as well because if these numbers start to rise quickly, we can’t afford to go backward and lose the progress we’ve already made.”
I encourage private businesses like restaurants & stadiums to switch to vaccine-only admission.
If you say to people, “If you don't have a vaccine, you can't get into these establishments”—then you'll see a real incentive to get vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/uUIkE7VkHT
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 2, 2021
Gov. Cuomo on Monday announced a vaccine mandate for employees of the state’s MTA and Port Authority, giving transportation workers the option to get vaccinated by Labor Day or face weekly coronavirus testing.
Beginning Labor Day, all @MTA employees & NY employees of the Port Authority will be required to either be vaccinated or get tested weekly.
Amid the growing threat of the #DeltaVariant, this precaution will help ensure the health & safety of these dedicated workforces.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 2, 2021
See this mornings full news conference below:
In New York City giving a COVID update and making an announcement. Watch live: https://t.co/EKytK2paS7
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 2, 2021
