Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 56.7, extending a state disaster emergency for Bronx and New York counties through tomorrow amid severe staffing shortages. The move comes as a citywide nurses’ strike that began Jan. 12 has forced hospitals to lean on temporary and travel nurses to keep emergency departments and critical care units running.
What the order does
The extension keeps in place the terms, conditions and temporary suspensions first set out in Executive Order No. 56 and carries them through Feb. 12, 2026, according to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office. The order gives state agencies flexibility to deploy additional staff and, where needed, loosen certain licensure and credentialing rules so qualified clinicians from other jurisdictions can practice temporarily in the affected counties.
Hospitals say services continue
Hospital systems including Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork‑Presbyterian say emergency rooms remain open and that they are maintaining care by bringing in agency nurses and shifting schedules, though some elective procedures have been postponed, as reported by CBS New York. City and state health officials have also coordinated with hospitals and the state Department of Health to monitor patient safety during the work stoppage.
Where bargaining stands
The New York State Nurses Association says roughly 15,000 nurses walked out on Jan. 12, an action the union has described as the largest nurses’ strike in city history, and union leaders have criticized the executive orders as potentially undermining bargaining leverage, per the New York State Nurses Association. This week the union announced tentative agreements with Montefiore and Mount Sinai that preserve staffing‑enforcement language and health benefits pending member ratification, while talks with NewYork‑Presbyterian remain unresolved.
Legal and labor implications
The executive order itself states the temporary suspensions are “not intended to afford leverage to any party in collective bargaining,” language that appears in the document posted by the governor’s office. Labor leaders say the state’s ability to authorize replacement staff complicates negotiations, while hospital officials and state authorities argue the measures are short term steps meant to protect patient care.
What to watch next
The immediate next acts to follow are the union ratification votes and whether NewYork‑Presbyterian reaches a deal; if the walkouts continue past Feb. 12 the governor could extend or broaden the emergency again and hospitals will continue to rely on contingency staffing, per recent reporting. For background on the strike and the picket lines that prompted these orders, see our earlier coverage “Nearly 15,000 nurses strike”.
