The city of New York faces an accumulation of garbage bags, the closure of fire stations and a drop in the number of police officers and ambulances on the streets on Monday. This is due to the vaccination requirement for city employees, with a deadline on Friday afternoon (local time). Anyone who cannot show that they have been vaccinated against the corona virus at least once will be sent on unpaid leave from Monday.
A quarter of New York City employees unvaccinated
As of Thursday (local time), according to city figures, almost a quarter of New York City employees affected by the vaccination requirement had not yet received a dose. Prison guards employed by the city have one more month to get vaccinated.
Apparently, some employees of the waste disposal companies did not pick up garbage in protest against the compulsory vaccination. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stuck to it despite protests from opponents of mandatory vaccination on Thursday. The city can deal with staff shortages, including by requiring overtime and additional shifts, said de Blasio. These tools would typically be used “in times of difficult crisis”.
Mayor de Blasio: “Ensure people’s safety”
“My job is to keep people — my employees, and 8.8 million people — safe,” de Blasio said at a virtual press conference. “And until we beat Covid, people won’t be safe. If we don’t stop Covid, New Yorkers will die.”
Mike Salsedo, who was protesting outside de Blasio’s official home, said he was “a believer and I don’t think it’s a good thing to put something man-made in my body.” Firefighter Jackie-Michelle Martinez said it was “our God-given right” to decide whether to get vaccinated.
Unvaccinated people contribute significantly to the spread of the coronavirus
People who do not want to be vaccinated are a significant factor in the spread of the coronavirus. Proponents of mandatory vaccination argue that city residents have a right not to be infected by city employees who refuse to be vaccinated.
“The agency has to deal with the unfortunate fact that some of our workforce has refused to comply with mandatory vaccination for all city employees,” said Fire Department President Daniel Nigro. Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said the New York City Police Department’s vaccination centers would remain open throughout the weekend.
$500 for vaccination
According to the police department, more than 700 officers were vaccinated on Thursday alone. City employees who get vaccinated at a city vaccination center by Friday will get $500.
“We anticipated that there would be a lot of vaccinations towards the end of the deadline,” de Blasio said. “We also know that many people make the decision once they realize they’re not getting paid. That’s just human reality.”
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