NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York City will lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers beginning on Friday, but the employees who were terminated for not getting the jab will not be reinstated, Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday.
More than 331,000 municipal workers — about 96% of the city’s workforce — have been fully vaccinated, helping keep New Yorkers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
“City workers stepped up tremendously throughout the pandemic,” Adams said.
The 1,780 former city workers who lost their jobs for not getting vaccinated will not be able to return to their spots. However, they can reapply for positions at their former agency, the mayor said.
About three dozen NYPD officers were let go for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Patrick J. Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said it was about time the city reversed course on the vaccine mandate.
“We are glad that the city has decided to stop fighting against our court victory overturning this unjust and illogical mandate. However, the job is only half done. We call on the city to ensure that our members who were fired or had their employment unfairly impacted are reinstated, with back pay and without condition,” Lynch said in a statement.
The vaccination requirements for non-public school, early child care, and day care staff will also end, Adams said.
“It’s clear these mandates saved lives and were absolutely necessary to meet the moment. We’re grateful that we can now, as we leave the emergency phase of the pandemic, modify more of the rules that have gotten us to this point,” New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said.
