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New York City could fire at least 3,000 public employees for not getting vaccinated against COVID. The workers have until today, Friday, February 11, to make the decision to get the COVID-19 shot, or lose their source of income. This was reported Thursday by The New York Times.
The move comes despite hundreds of workers taking to the city streets to call for an end to the mandate. “Their pleas were rejected by Mayor Eric Adams, who has reaffirmed the city’s looming ultimatum: If city workers do not get vaccinated, they are the ones who will be fired.”
Adams officials explained to the media that the workers have already had their pay suspended for their refusal to be immunized. The situation comes at a time when, according to newspaper estimates, 95% of the city’s 370,000 workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Laying off these workers would represent the loss of 1% of the city’s workforce. However, Adams has said it is more important to comply with the vaccination mandate.
“We have to be very clear — people must be vaccinated if they are New York City employees,” Adams said at a press conference Thursday in the Bronx.
The vaccine mandate was first imposed by former NYC Mayor de Blasio
The situation comes after former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed a vaccination mandate for public employees in October 2021. “My job as your mayor is to keep this city safe, to keep this city healthy,” de Blasio said as he made the announcement.
Despite the Democrats’ decision, there are other state governments, such as Texas and Florida, that have banned vaccination mandates by law. The Republicans’ decision has been made by appealing to the personal decision of their citizens.
