Governor Cuomo Announces MTA and New York Port Authority Employees Will Be Required to Get Vaccinated For COVID-19 or Be Tested Weekly Starting Labor Day

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced today that MTA and Port Authority employees working in New York facilities will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly starting Labor Day. Employee-only vaccination sites that previously closed as usage dropped will be reopened while those that remained open will continue to operate. Nine new vaccination sites will open in locations with a high concentration of state employees to make getting vaccinated as convenient as possible for those who haven't been yet.

"Everybody is talking about mask policies right now, but I don't believe a mask policy is going to be enough - we need to talk about a vaccination policy," Governor Cuomo said. "We've taken the first step by mandating that all state employees get the vaccine or get tested weekly, and we're expanding on that by requiring all MTA and Port Authority workers to do so as well. The state is leading the way, but local governments, schools, public hospitals and even businesses should start considering mandatory vaccinations as well because if these numbers start to rise quickly, we can't afford to go backward and lose the progress we've already made."

New vaccination sites will open at:

• Dulles State Office Building in Watertown
• Hughes State Office Building in Syracuse
• Utica State Office Building
• Binghamton State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza Concourse
• Eleanor Roosevelt State Office Building in Poughkeepsie
• Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building in Harlem
• Duryea State Office Building in Hauppauge
• NYS Department of Labor, Hicksville

This requirement follows Governor Cuomo's July 28 press conference at which he announced that state employees and patient-facing employees in state-run hospitals will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor Day. Those who choose to remain unvaccinated will be required to undergo weekly COVID testing.

Acting MTA Chairman & CEO Janno Lieber said, "The MTA has no higher priority than the health and safety of our workforce. This new vaccine and testing mandate is being introduced to make sure our employees are as protected as possible against the Delta variant as the region's recovery picks up speed. To date, nearly 70% of our workforce has already been vaccinated - including some who got their doses in their home neighborhoods at pharmacies and other local sites. It's great progress but we can and must do better in the interest of public health and safety."

Executive Director of the Port Authority of NY & NJ Rick Cotton said, "Throughout the pandemic, the Port Authority has taken a multitude of actions to implement health and safety protocols that protect travelers and employees. We have always looked to the states for guidance and that's what we are doing now. The Port Authority will be redoubling our efforts to get employees vaccinated and we will be carefully consulting with leaders of all Port Authority unions on implementation plans for the weekly testing program."