NY Gov. Kathy Hochul to Unvaxxed Hospital Workers: Get Vaxxed Or Get Replaced With Foreigners

"To those who won't, we'll be replacing people. And I have a plan that's going to be announced very shortly," [Governor Kathy Hochul] said.

"We've identified a whole range of opportunities we have to help supplement them."

Hochul said state officials were "working closely with various hospital systems to find out where we can get other individuals to come in and supplement places like nursing homes."

New York's New Gov Threatens To Replace Unvaccinated Hospital Workers With Foreigners... pic.twitter.com/O9OmiXwLYX

— Covid-1984 (@NeverSleever) September 23, 2021

"We're also reaching out to the Department of State to find out about visas for foreign workers, on a limited basis, to bring more nurses over here," she said.

Per the Department of Health's records, 19% of the state's hospital workers remained unvaccinated as of Sept. 15, and 18% of nursing home employees remained unvaccinated as of Wednesday.

Starting Monday, employers can fire unvaccinated workers who don't have a "valid medical exemption" (though employees who claim religious exemption are also immune until Oct. 12 due to a temporary injunction issued by a federal judge in Utica).