NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for a group trying to preserve a religious exemption for health care workers says New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is unjustly using God’s name to try to nudge employers into ignoring court orders allowing the exemption. The attorney made the claim Wednesday during arguments before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hochul has encouraged religious-minded people to get a COVID-19 vaccine by saying it is God’s will. An attorney for the state says the Department of Health is in full compliance with court orders. The mandate took effect Monday and allows employers to suspend or fire healthcare workers who refuse a vaccine.
Photo: FILE – In this March 26, 2021, file photo a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site setup in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
