Dozens of Unvaccinated Binghamton-Area Health Care Workers Off the Job

A few dozen unvaccinated health care workers in Broome County are off the job with the passing of the state vaccination mandate deadline.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar has said about 15 workers at Willow Point Nursing Home missed the midnight September 27 deadline while Lourdes and United Health Services issued a statement saying they have been readying their organizations for compliance under the mandate and implementing a plan to optimize resources.

Lourdes said it would close some lab locations.

Lourdes and UHS issued a joint statement responding to the effects of the mandate but neither provided exact numbers of how many employees would be taken off the job.

Several weeks ago an estimated 500 health care workers staged a protest to the vaccine mandate across from the UHS Wilson Hospital campus in Johnson City.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul says a large majority of health care professionals in the state are vaccinated against COVID-19. The Democrat says at the end of the day September 27, the percentage of nursing home staff getting at least one dose increased to 92 percent from 70 percent.  The percentage of adult care facility staff getting a dose went from 76 percent to 89 percent and the percentage of hospital staff full vaccinated as of Wednesday, September 22 was 84 percent. Self-reporting data indicated that staff getting at least one dose was at 92 percent as of the evening of September 27.

Hochul says the only way to move past the pandemic is to make sure everyone who is eligible is vaccinated. "and that includes those who are taking care of our vulnerable family members and loved ones."