Nurses Day of Action calls for more protection for health workers amid NYS booster mandate

CAPITAL REGION, NY (WRGB) — Amid concerns from some that Gov. Hochul is allowing healthcare workers to return to their jobs just five days after testing positive for the virus, a nurses’ national day of action took place.

For some, the new CDC guidelines only amplify the concern over the CDC's new isolation guidelines. per those new rules, people who have boosters don't need to quarantine at all if they're exposed to COVID-19, as long as they wear a mask.

The CDC also says healthcare workers without symptoms can return to work after a week with a negative test, but that time could be cut if there are staffing shortages, and that is the case in many New York State hospitals.

Critics say it could lead to healthcare workers being pressured to go back on the job while still sick. the new rules, at the center of Thursday's national day of action led by the National Nurses Union, which says the relaxed rules from the CDC and the Biden administration have "ripped away critical protections" at a time when hospitalizations and cases are surging.

"Eliminating the isolation time or sending asymptomatic or exposed health care workers to work will guarantee more preventable transmission, infections, hospitalizations and death,” said California Nurses Association President Cathy Kennedy, RN.

Back here in New York, nurses also took part in the day of action. As for the state's new booster mandate, the United Healthcare Workers East union says they'll collaborate with the Governor on implementing it for those health workers, who are required to get the booster within two weeks of eligibility.

But that raises another concern from some, that the aggressive timeline could only worsen the staffing shortages at hospitals since many hospital and nursing home workers would have to get boosted immediately.