Credit: Anthony Behar/Sipa USA
New York (AP/77WABC) – New York City will require all of its municipal workers — including teachers and police officers — to get coronavirus vaccines by mid-September or face weekly COVID-19 testing, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.
The rule is expected to affect about 340,000 city employees, making the city one of the largest employers in the U.S. to take such action. While it isn’t a vaccine mandate — no workers will be forced to take a shot — officials hope the inconvenience and discomfort of weekly tests will persuade many to overcome a reluctance to get inoculated.
The Delta Variant is deadly and this city is taking it seriously. Today I’m announcing that EVERY City government employee will be required to provide proof of vaccination or submit a weekly #COVID test. Join us at Bronx Borough Hall for more. #InTheBronx https://t.co/G9YsQCmNBP
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) July 26, 2021
“This is about our recovery. This is about what we need to do to bring back New York City,” de Blasio said. “This is about keeping people safe.”
Hours after de Blasio’s announcement, officials in California announced that state employees and all health care workers will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or get tested weekly.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declined to answer a question about whether he will require state employees to be vaccinated. Speaking at a news conference at Yankee Stadium, Cuomo urged localities to consider vaccinating public-facing government workers.
At Yankee Stadium making an announcement. Watch live: https://t.co/Y1V9ui4rFW
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) July 26, 2021
“If City Hall intends to test our members weekly, they must first meet us at the table to bargain,” DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said in a statement. “While we encourage everyone to get vaccinated and support measures to ensure our members’ health and wellbeing, weekly testing is clearly subject to mandatory bargaining. New York City is a union town and that cannot be ignored.”
The Sept. 13 deadline in New York City coincides with the start of public school, when the Democratic mayor has said he expects all pupils to be in classrooms full time. City health care workers and employees in congregate setting such as group homes will face earlier deadlines.
The move comes as the city battles a rise in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. Since the end of June, the daily average of new cases has increased by more than 300%.
