NEW YORK — Mount Sinai Health System has mandated the COVID-19 vaccine for all faculty and staff, who must have at least their first dose by Sept. 13.

This comes as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

Employees who do not receive their first shot by the Sept. 13 date will face disciplinary action, which could include termination, Mount Sinai President and CEO Kenneth Davis said in an internal message to staff, according to a press release.

"To those of you who have not been vaccinated, we want you to understand why we are announcing this so early: to respectfully allow you more time to learn, look at the data, and become comfortable with getting vaccinated," Davis wrote in his note.

There will be limited exceptions made for religious or medical reasons. Remote workers who have a “Remote Work Agreement” with the company and report completely virtually are also exempt from the mandate.

The Mount Sinai Health System will continue to implement its vaccine-or-test protocol, which will also be used for faculty and staff with exemptions.