New York hospital emergency room ceases operation after employees refuse to get vaccinated

The Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital's freestanding emergency room in Long Beach has temporarily ceased operation after a New York state requirement that medical workers had to be vaccinated was not followed by all employees.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH)’s vaccine mandate was announced in August by then-governor Andrew Cuomo, and as The Daily Wire reports, exemptions were few and far between.

"The Emergency Department in Long Beach operated by Mount Sinai South Nassau," the hospital said in a November 22 statement, "will be closed temporarily as of 3 PM today due to nursing staff shortages."

"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," the statement continues. "This closure should not be interpreted as anything beyond what it is – a temporary measure designed to relieve current staffing challenges in our Emergency Department. Our nurses, physicians and support staff have been on the frontlines of the pandemic for more than 21 months. We will continue to be there for our patients."

In the mean time, patients seeking emergency care are being instructed to visit the hospital's main campus in Oceanside, NY.