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Governor Hochul Announces
New Measures to Combat COVID-19 Delta Variant
Published: September 01, 2021
at 07:30 p.m.
By: Press Release from Governor Hochul’s
Office (August 31, 2021)
Governor Hochul Announces
New Measures to Combat COVID-19 Delta Variant
Announces Plan for New Statewide Weekly Testing
Requirement for Unvaccinated School Staff
Decentralizes Booster Shot Distribution to Local Health Departments, Announces $65 Million Available to Local Health
Departments to Support These Efforts
State Exploring Vaccine Mandate for All Staff in All
State Regulated Facilities
New Measures Build on Governor's Comprehensive Plan
to Help Ensure a Safe, Productive Return to Schools This Fall
Follows Universal Mask Requirement in All Schools Enacted on
Governor's First Day in Office and $585 Million School Testing Program
Using $585 Million in Federal Funds
Governor
Kathy Hochul today announced new
measures to combat the COVID-19 Delta variant and updated New Yorkers on
the state's progress combating the virus.
Speaking at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, the
Governor announced she will be working with localities, the state health
department and the Public Health and Health Planning Council in the days
ahead to put in place mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated
public and charter school employees, and to establish a vaccination
requirement for all staff at state-regulated facilities and congregate
settings. The governor announced $65 million will be
available to local health departments across the state to support the quick
and reliable distribution of booster shots.
"Last year
every community across the state came together in a profound way to say,
'we can do this'," Governor Hochul said. "This
war is not over and the Delta variant is a serious
threat, especially for people who are still unvaccinated. We all need to
remain vigilant to protect each other - and that means coming in to get
your shot and booster shot, wearing masks in indoor spaces, and
exercising basic safety measures that we are all familiar with by
now."
Getting children
back to school where they can learn most effectively and protecting the
students, teachers and staff are top priorities for Governor Hochul. Building on the state department of health's
directive requiring universal masking for anyone entering schools, the
governor will be working with localities, the department of health and the
Public Health and Health Planning Council in the days ahead to implement a
mandatory weekly COVID testing for school staff who are not
vaccinated.
Following the
department of health's announcement last week that all staff in health care
facilities need to be vaccinated, the state is exploring how to expand
this requirement to include staff at all state-regulated facilities.Local health
departments will be supporting the distribution of booster shots in New
York, enabling them to use their knowledge and workforce to quickly
deliver booster shots to their communities. The governor is making $65
million available to local health departments to build the infrastructure
for these efforts.
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