The New York State Department of Health (DOH) issued a Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) regarding the enforcement of New York State's health care personnel vaccination mandate ("NYS vaccination mandate") for previously granted religious exemptions under the mandate. Beginning November 22, 2021, all covered entities must ensure that covered "personnel" under the NYS vaccination mandate who were previously granted religious exemptions have documentation of either a first-dose COVID-19 vaccination or a valid medical exemption. Consistent with prior guidance, covered entities must have a process in place to consider reasonable accommodation requests from covered personnel based on sincerely held religious beliefs, on a case-by-case basis, and provide a reasonable accommodation, if available, that eliminates the risk of exposure and does not pose an undue hardship on the covered entity.
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