New York Federal Judge Has Extended the Ban on Vaccine Mandates Until October 12

A federal judge has extended the temporary ban on the vaccine mandates for healthcare workers until October 12. Governor Kathy Hochul’s order mandated that all healthcare workers in the state be vaccinated against Covid-19, without exception, or face firing. Reporter Berkeley Bean said, “…The order could turn into a preliminary injunction.” If the order turns into an injunction, then everyone seeking a religious exemption will be exempt for the case’s duration. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York temporarily blocked the order last week.

A group of healthcare workers sued the state claiming the barring of religious exemptions violated their Constitutional rights. The Hochul administration had until September 22 to respond to the lawsuit in court. ABC News reported, “If the state opposes the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary court order blocking the vaccine mandate, a Sept. 28 oral hearing will occur.” Attorney Ferrara said, “The New York mandate strips away an employee’s right to apply for a religious exemption in the workplace.”

The lawsuit was filed by 17 New York healthcare workers. The workers include 16 who are Catholic, and 1 is Baptist. Their complaint states, “It would be a violation of their deeply held religious beliefs and moral consciences to take any of the available COVID-19 vaccines given their use of abortion-derived fetal cell lines in testing, development, or production.” This restraining order only applies to those healthcare workers who are claiming a religious exemption.

Attorney Christopher Ferrara said, “These plaintiffs are not – I repeat – not anti-vaxxers, as the fake news media calls them. They are in fact in favor of voluntary vaccination with informed consent, but they oppose jack-booted coercion by the state to take a vaccine their religion forbids them to take. This is America, not Red China.” If the mandate does take effect, health professionals may lose their jobs and not be eligible for employment anywhere in the state.

The Catholic Church has come out calling the vaccine “morally acceptable.” Attorney Ferrara noted that California has a religious exemption to its healthcare vaccine mandate. The URMC put out a statement addressing the change. They note they are developing contingency plans to ensure care with minimal disruptions. The new ruling could have an impact on staffing changes should there be no religious exemption granted.

 

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