After requiring both NYC Department of Education and NYC Health and Hospitals employees to be vaccinated last month, the City is now extending that mandate to all City employees.
This includes NYPD, FDNY and DSNY (Department of Sanitation), Mayor de Blasio announced today (Oct. 20). Previously, members of these department were required to get vaccinated OR undergo weekly testing, but now the test-out option will be eliminated.
One group that is a bit more complicated is the DOC (Department of Correction). Civilian employees of the DOC (and uniformed members assigned to healthcare settings) will be immediately required under the mandate, while other uniformed members at DOC will not be required until December 1, as “the City works diligently to address the ongoing staffing situation at Rikers Island,” a press release states.
Vaccine mandates work. New York City is proof of that.
☑️ 96% of @NYCSchools employees are vaccinated
☑️ 95% of @NYCHealthSystem employees are vaccinatedNow we're going even further by ensuring ALL City workers are protected from #COVID19. This is how we keep our city safe. https://t.co/MtUujsrWMW
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) October 20, 2021
Still, employees will actually get paid to get jabbed! City employees will receive an extra $500 in their paycheck for getting their first shot beginning today (Oct. 20). This perk will end at 5. p.m. on Friday, October 29, however — the time when employees will be required to share proof of at least one dose.
Anyone still unvaccinated at that time will be put on unpaid leave. They will be taken off unpaid leave once they show proof of vaccination.
.@NYCMayor announces vaccine mandate for New York City workers.
Read more: pic.twitter.com/EoScxvAXd9
— City of New York (@nycgov) October 20, 2021
As Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi signs a Commissioner’s Order today, 160,500 City workers will be immediately affected (though 71 percent of this group has already received at least one dose).
The City reports that since the vaccination mandates were made for other organizations, vaccination rates have increased to over 95 percent.