Denver Newsroom, Oct 30, 2021 / 14:18 pm
Maine remains one of only three states — along with New York and Rhode Island — whose COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers does not allow for religious exemptions.
The U.S. Supreme Court Friday denied an emergency request to block Maine’s mandate by a group of unvaccinated healthcare workers who say the state’s rule violates their religious liberty. The mandate took effect Friday. Also on Friday, a federal appeals court upheld a similar mandate in New York.
Conservative justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh joined the majority in denying the request, explaining in a brief statement written by Barrett that the case didn't meet the requirements for the court to intervene.
“When this Court is asked to grant extraordinary relief, it considers, among other things, whether the applicant ‘is likely to succeed on the merits,’” Barrett wrote.