9,000 NYC workers on leave as the vaccine mandate takes effect
NEW YORK (AP) – About 9,000 municipal workers were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that went into effect Monday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
About 9 out of 10 city workers covered by the mandate have been vaccinated and there have been no disruptions to city services due to staff shortages, de Blasio told reporters at his daily news briefing. New York has more than 300,000 employees in the city.
Firehouses remained open and sanitation workers picked up an extra Sunday to make sure debris does not pile up, the mayor said.
“I want to thank everyone who was vaccinated,” de Blasio said. “Thank you for being vaccinated. Thank you for doing the right thing. Thank you for moving us forward.”
City officials have been fighting fierce resistance among a minority of workers in some critical public security jobs, including police officers and firefighters, as well as an ongoing legal challenge to the mandate from the city’s largest police union.
From Sunday d. 1 in 4 of the city’s uniformed firefighters still had not received a first dose of the vaccine as required. About 1 in 6 police officers and 1 in 6 paramedics were still unvaccinated.
More than 3,500 city workers were vaccinated over the weekend. It was after a deadline of Friday at. 5pm to collect a $ 500 bonus to prove they had been given a dose of the vaccine but before they should have unpaid leave.
About 12,000 workers have applied for religious or medical exemptions for the vaccine mandate. They can stay on the job while city officials review these applications.
City officials have said they are prepared for possible staff shortages, and are calling in vaccinated workers for overtime.
The leader of the union, which represents New York City firefighters who have fought the vaccine mandate, warned that public safety could be in jeopardy. The fire department has said it was prepared to take up to 20% of its fire companies out of service and have 20% fewer ambulances on the road.
“We are here today because of a mandate given not only to our members but also to all New York City employees who were given nine days to make a life-changing decision about their careers, or whether they will take or not a vaccine, ”said the chairman of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Andrew Ansbro, at a press conference early in the morning.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has said the city’s highest public safety priority is to stop the spread of COVID-19, which continues to kill a handful of people in the city every day.
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