NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Saturday the state is requiring nursing homes and adult care facilities to make COVID-19 booster doses available to all residents.
The state sent a letter to nursing home and adult care facility operators and administrators Wednesday with information on the requirement. The letter, which can be found here, said in part:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of the ongoing requirement to make booster doses of the Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines available for all residents within your facilities. On November 19, 2021 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized a single booster dose six months or more after Pfizer or Moderna initial series of COVID-19 vaccines, and two months or more after a single-dose of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, for all individuals.
Pursuant to 10 NYCRR §§ 66-4.1 nursing homes must ensure that all residents, once eligible, have an opportunity to receive an appropriate booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine and pursuant to 10 NYCRR §§ 66-4.2, adult care facilities must make diligent efforts to arrange for all eligible residents to register for an appointment to receive their booster dose. As required by regulation, nursing homes and adult care facilities must keep proper documentation of those residents who are eligible but decline to receive a booster dose.
Friday Gov. Hochul announced an executive order aimed at boosting hospital capacity.
Saturday, she issued the following statement:
With the emergence of the Omicron variant abroad and warning signs of spikes in cases this winter, the need for basic COVID safety procedures here in New York is more important than ever," Governor Hochul said. "If you've been waiting to get vaccinated, there's no better time to get your first shot. If you're eligible to get your booster, get it as soon as possible. And as always, make sure to follow basic pandemic safety measures like wearing a mask and washing your hands with soap and water.
- Gov. Hochul
