The New York State Department of Health has now issued a Dear Administrator Letter (“DAL”), confirming that it has started to roll back the regulation that had required healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID as a condition of working in licensed home care services agencies, as well as other entities licensed under the Public Health Law.
Effective immediately, the Department will cease citing providers for failure to comply with the vaccination requirements. A formal repeal of the regulatory requirements will follow later, through the procedures of the Public Health and Health Planning Council (“PHHPC”). The DAL warns that the Department may continue seeking sanctions against providers based on previously cited violations of the COVID vaccination mandate that allegedly occurred.
Lastly, the DAL notes that the federal government has also started the process to end the vaccination mandate for healthcare facilities certified by CMS.
