New York will make the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for all its officials. The city is therefore adding police and firefighters to a list that already contained caregivers and teachers, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
The vaccination obligation will come into force on November 1. The town hall specified that it would begin “immediately impact negotiations with the unions concerned”. The only exception: prison wardens, for whom the obligation is postponed to December 1 because of staffing problems at Rikers Island prison. The deterioration of detention conditions has been denounced several times in recent weeks.
Starting TODAY, we are mandating ALL city workers receive the #COVID19 vaccine. Join us at City Hall for more. https://t.co/oUar99hXv0
– Major Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) October 20, 2021
71% of civil servants already vaccinated
To motivate officials, the town hall promises that those who receive their first dose before October 29 will receive a bonus of $ 500. After this period, recalcitrant employees will see their remuneration suspended “as long as they have not shown their proof of vaccination to their hierarchical superior”, explains the town hall.
According to city figures, 71% of New York’s 160,000 public servants have already received at least one dose of the vaccine. This leaves around 46,000 staff unvaccinated. Until now, the requirement has only affected certain professions, with others having the choice between getting the vaccine or having a negative test every week to go to work.
Showdown in Chicago
Bruised by the pandemic, the cultural and economic capital of the United States has already made the coronavirus vaccine mandatory for many indoor activities (restaurants, theaters and sports). More than 34,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the city of more than 8 million people.
Other cities and states have taken similar steps across the country. In Chicago, the vaccination requirement sparked a standoff between city hall and police, with the main trade union calling on officials to refuse to disclose whether or not they were vaccinated. In Texas, by contrast, the Republican governor banned all entities in his state, including private companies, from making vaccination mandatory.
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