Several states are delaying their COVID-19 booster mandates for healthcare workers, citing the potential for worsening staffing shortages, according to The Wall Street Journal.
1. New York backed off enforcement of the state's booster mandate Feb. 18 after a plea from hospitals. The New York State Department of Health said the state will not immediately begin enforcing the mandate, instead allowing more time for workers to comply.
State enforcement of the booster requirement was scheduled to take effect Feb. 21. Now, the state will reassess in three months "whether additional steps need to be taken to increase booster rates among the healthcare workforce," state officials said in a news release.
2. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Jan. 6 that he signed two executive orders requiring booster shots for workers at long-term care facilities and state hospitals by Feb. 11.
That deadline is now pushed back to March 7, according to The Wall Street Journal.
3. The California Department of Public Health moved the state's booster mandate deadline to March 1, one month later than the previously announced Feb. 1 deadline.
The requirement applies to healthcare workers and all workers in high-risk congregate settings, including nursing homes.