Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Cuomo To Require All State Workers To Be Vaccinated, Following De Blasio's Lead
By
David Cruz
Published Jul 28, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
NY Governor's Office
By
David Cruz
Published Jul 28, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will require all state workers to be vaccinated by Labor Day or be subject to weekly testing. Patient-facing health workers, however, must be vaccinated without exception. The announcement comes two days after Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed a similar mandate for city employees as the extremely virulent delta variant has led to widespread fears of a resurgence.
Cuomo made the announcement at a virtual event hosted by the Association for a Better New York on Wednesday, which focused on economic recovery for the state. He said he's on "legally sound ground" to mandate state-run hospital employees get vaccinated and is urging health care facilities across the state to do the same. Cuomo offered few details on his new policy, including whether employees are supposed to show proof they've been vaccinated. The decision impacts the roughly 130,000 currently employed by the state.
"It is an aggressive step. And there will be pushback. And I'm going to be having more conversations with the unions about it, but we know what we're dealing with," Cuomo said.
Cuomo's decision comes as the delta variant has led to an increase in the number of cases across the state, noting that there were 2,200 cases across the state on Wednesday, compared to 275 cases about a month ago.
The state mandate would include the state police, state parks police, and the MTA, including NYC Transit workers. President Joe Biden is expected to announce a vaccination-or-weekly testing mandate for federal employees on Thursday.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is reviewing whether to mandate vaccinations for its state employees, but he and NJ Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli strongly recommend masking in "indoor settings with increased risk," echoing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recent guidance.
On Monday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all city employees, including teachers, police officers, and firefighters, will need to be vaccinated or be subject to mandatory weekly testing. The policy begins September 13th, which is also the first day of public school in the city.
The delta variant has become the dominant strain in New York City, and, and on Wednesday, de Blasio unveiled a new incentive program beginning Friday in which city residents will receive $100 debit card after receiving their first coronavirus dose at a city-run site.
"We'll say 'thank you.' We'll say 'we're really glad you got vaccinated for yourself, your family, your community, and here's $100," de Blasio said.
De Blasio said anyone who has received at least the first dose will then be able to take attend the free, upcoming city-sponsored concert.
The program was praised by Dr. Denis Nash, professor of epidemiology at the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health.
"Jurisdictions need to be trying all kinds of different strategies to see if they can increase vaccine uptake in those who are hesitant, or otherwise having challenges getting vaccinated, so I'm hopeful," Dr. Nash said on the Brian Lehrer Show shortly after de Blasio's announcement. "Public health protection is worth paying for, this is what we're trying to achieve here, so I think it's worth exploring. I hope that we're able to learn in fact whether it is an effective approach, so we can decide if it should continue, and other jurisdictions around the country can see if it's worth trying in their own backyards."
Kate Hinds, Danny Lewis, and Karen Yi contributed to this report. An earlier draft misstated where Dr. Denis Nash works.
Tagged
COVID-19
pandemic
governor cuomo
mayor de blasio
reopening
David Cruz
David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Park Slope locals outraged by catnapping of bodega kitten: ‘It’s unconscionable’
The cat caper has the neighborhood up in arms and on the hunt for a couple caught on surveillance camera walking away with the 3-month-old white kitten.
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Sep 11, 2026 at 3:36 p.m. ET
5 Bronx buildings had no recent record of monthly testing before Legionnaires’ outbreak
One of the buildings houses a federal Social Security office. It had not reported test results since late June, according to city data.
By
Joe Hong
News
5 Bronx buildings had no recent record of monthly testing before Legionnaires’ outbreak
One of the buildings houses a federal Social Security office. It had not reported test results since late June, according to city data.
By
Joe Hong
Cluster of community cats found dead in Brooklyn. Locals worry they were poisoned.
By
Catalina Gonella
City-backed nonprofit grocery stores have come to Newark, with 30% discounts
By
Michael Sol Warren
War over robotaxis in NYC heats up after retracted Waymo report and 'Autokill' novel
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .