Maine Governor Janet Mills says the state’s healthcare workers will have more time to get vaccinated.

The governor’s administration announced Thursday that the deadline will not be enforced until October 29th, giving healthcare workers an additional month to become fully vaccinated. That includes the 2-3 week period required to develop full immunity after the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the second dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Mills says she’s providing healthcare networks and facilities with both time and money, with $146 million in state and federal funding coming to healthcare facilities that are struggling due to workforce shortages caused by exposure to COVID-19 and longstanding labor shortages.

“My goal is that every health care worker in Maine is vaccinated. Anyone who is placed in the care of a health care worker has the right to expect, as do their families, that they will receive high-quality, safe care from fully vaccinated staff,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Allowing this additional time and providing $146 million in funding to recruit and retain vaccinated workers will help protect the lives of medical staff and patients, protect our health care capacity, and reduce the spread of the virus.”

The mandate has been a source of concern at some healthcare facilities, with some workers criticizing the mandate and saying the state should not make medical decisions for individuals. Some of them say they’re willing to look for work elsewhere.