Story at a glance
- Municipal workers in the city, including firefighters and police, were required to receive at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Friday.
- Previously, New York City employees could opt to take weekly COVID-19 tests instead of being vaccinated, but the exemption no longer applies.
- On Monday, de Blasio said 91 percent of the city’s nearly 400,000 employees covered by the mandate have been vaccinated, while 9,000 were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with the mandate.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Monday said some 9,000 municipal city workers were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that recently went into effect.
Municipal workers in the city, including firefighters and police, were required to receive at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Friday. Previously, New York City employees could opt to take weekly COVID-19 tests instead of being vaccinated, but the exemption no longer applies.
On Monday, de Blasio said 91 percent of the city’s nearly 400,000 employees covered by the mandate have been vaccinated, while 9,000 were put on unpaid leave for refusing to comply with the mandate and another 12,000 have filed for a religious or medical exemption. De Blasio said those workers will be getting their answer on exemptions in the coming days.
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“This mandate was the right thing to do and the proof is in the pudding. We now see it works,” de Blasio said during a news conference Monday.
“A profound thanks to all of our city employees who did the right thing, and to everyone who will do the right thing going forward,” he said.
The mayor said there were more than 22,000 new reported vaccinations among city employees since the mandate was announced on Oct. 20. At least 84 percent of the city’s police force has received one dose, up from 70 percent from the time the mandate was announced. More than 3,500 city workers were vaccinated over the weekend alone.
Meanwhile, some 2,000 city firefighters took medical leave as the mandate went into effect. New York City Fire Department (NYFD) Deputy Commissioner Frank Dwyer called the number “very unusual,” fueling suspicions of a “sickout” in protest of the requirement.
De Blasio’s mandate has faced opposition from city workers, including thousands who took part in a protest against the mandate last week.
The mayor noted that city firehouses are open and response times are normal.
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