NEW YORK (PIX11) — Municipal workers in New York City who have not complied with the city’s COVID vaccine mandate will be terminated on Friday.
On Aug. 2, all new hires were required to be fully vaccinated as a condition of employment. Last week, separation letters were sent to all city workers who were not in compliance with the mandate. Anyone waiting on a religious exemption appeal will be allowed to stay.
As the deadline looms, Mayor Eric Adams told PIX11 News in a statement on Monday that more than 90% of the city workforce was fully vaccinated, and that number keeps climbing.
“My number one job is to keep this city safe — that includes getting New York City vaccinated. City workers are leaders and have led the way on vaccinations,” the mayor said. “I am deeply grateful for their tireless service during this crisis and want them to have the tools to protect themselves, their co-workers, and the general public they come in contact with every day. From day one of my administration, I’ve said we will follow the science, and that’s exactly what we will continue to do.”
The state comptroller revealed the NYPD Detective Bureau has lost 5% of its personnel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccine mandate would cost the city an additional four detectives.
DEA President Paul DiGiacomo told PIX11 News on Monday the union plans to file a lawsuit.
“Detectives Endowment Association (DEA) is filing a lawsuit and pursuing other legal remedies due to the illegal and unconstitutional termination of any unvaccinated NYC detective. We will be filing and requesting an injunction before Friday,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education has 98% of its employees vaccinated. A spokesperson for the DOE praised teachers and school staff for complying with the mandate to keep classrooms open and safe.
“New York City has continued to lead the way on vaccinations, and we’re proud that over 98% of DOE employees answered the call to get vaccinated and keep our school communities safe. Vaccine mandates work, and thanks to the dedication of our educators, staff and qualified substitutes we’ve been able to ensure our schools continue to safely serve our students each day,” the spokesperson said.
It remained unclear on Monday exactly how many of the city’s 370,000 workers were unvaccinated. A city spokesperson said the true number won’t be known until the deadline arrives.
