ROCHESTER, N.Y. — ​The Jewish Senior Life Center in Rochester is mandating that all employees get vaccinated by October 1 in order to continue working at the facility.

Officials say they made the requirement over concerns about the delta variant.

“If I’m a health care worker, I feel like I took an oath to take care of people,” Michelle Schirano, the Center’s administrator, said. “And I feel obligated to try and protect the people I care [about] and my family of course. To keep those people as much protected as I possibly can. Part of that is getting vaccinated because you are so close to people. If you are a hospital worker or a nursing home worker, health care worker, in my opinion, it’s your obligation.”   

Currently, more than 80% of employees are already vaccinated.

Jewish Senior Life has more than 1,000 employees in the greater Rochester area.