“The staffing shortage and closure of the LBED is a result of the Hospital’s compliance with the NYSDOH’s mandate… requiring the suspension of all staff working under temporary religious exemptions who could not show proof today of receiving a first dose of COVID-19 vaccination or a valid medical exemption from receiving it.”

“We regret having to take this step but the safety of our patients is always our No. 1 priority,”

Compliance with the state's mandate is obviously a higher priority than the safety of the patients who by virtue of their status as patients in an ER are not in a state of safety. If the unjabbed workers were a real threat to the patient safety the would have enforced their own mandates long before this deadline. How many patients are catching covid from health care workers? Or, how much will they relax the measure they put in place to prevent that from happening before requiring the jab? (none, obviously) Also, how many unemployed nurses are there that they think they can fill these positions? Or will they call in the National Guard (who are not required to have the jab and unqualified)? Will they blame all the deaths from their actions on covid? Yes, Dick varient of covid because it was a dick move.