ALBANY, NY -New York State’s health care worker vaccine mandate is now in effect.

And, while the Governor has a plan to mitigate staffing shortages, some say it will not immediately remedy the situation.

NewsChannel 34’s Corina Cappabianca has more on the push for the mandate to be delayed.

((Kathy Hochul, Governor)) People have known for quite some time that this was a requirement and I’ve made it loud and clear over my four weeks in office that I was not going to change my position because I’m charged with protecting the health of all New Yorkers.

Governor Kathy Hocul has signed off on an executive order that permits medically trained National Guard members, retired health care workers, recent grads, and those licensed in other states and countries to step in over the health care worker vaccine mandate.

She’s also working with the federal government to try to “expedite visa requests” for medical workers as well.

But, members of the Assembly GOP say the plan doesn’t cut it.

They’ve signed onto a letter to the Governor asking her to delay the mandate deadline.

((Ed Ra, NYS Assemblyman)) With the Governor now having put forth emergency plans, emergency orders, talking about deploying the National Guard I think that preparation had to go on weeks before this mandate went into effect, not right before it went into effect.

Assemblyman Ed Ra says the mandate and plan should be re-thought.

((Ed Ra, NYS Assemblyman)) I think we need to remember these were the individuals that while many of us were working from home were in our hospitals, in our nursing homes with inadequate PPE and to see them pushed out of their jobs without considering other alternatives like a testing option, I think is really a shame.

There is a temporary restraining order on the health care worker mandate for those claiming a religious exemption, but the state is fighting that.