NY Nursing Homes Fail To Get Staff From State Hotline After Vaccine Mandate

Nursing homes are desperately understaffed due to staffing shortages tied to New York’s new COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

According to the New York Post, officials claim  “we do not have any staff to offer you or any other nursing homes” upon calling the hotline expressly set up to help fill increasing vacancies.

The Post claims a caller to the state-run hotline was told by the agent who answered the line that, “Despite what the media says, currently, we do not have any staff to offer you or any other nursing homes. I will log you in our system,” a staffer from the state Department of Health “Surge and Flex Operations Center” told one nursing home when they called to inquire about getting reinforcements on Oct. 4 — a mere week after the mandate took effect.

The operator also told the nursing home administrator who called to, “Feel free to call with updates, but no need to call daily, hoping this will be your lucky day.”

Callers to the hotline are given “intake numbers” and are then assigned a case, which is then reviewed by the state.

This is in stark contrast to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s public statements on the vax mandate and signed executive order where she declared that she had a reserve of healthcare employees at the ready to replace any employees who resigned or were terminated due to their refusal to take the shot.