New York Mayor Eric Adams on Monday announced that he will be lifting the controversial COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal workers and the city’s Department of Education employees. The Democrat said this vaccine mandate will end this Friday (Feb 10) if the decision is ratified at the upcoming city Board of Health Meeting, Reuters reported.
In a statement, Adams said, “with more than 96 per cent of city workers and more than 80 per cent of New Yorkers having received their primary COVID-19 series and more tools readily available to keep us healthy, this is the right moment for this decision.”
He urged New Yorkers to get take necessary steps such as proper vaccinations and boosters to protect themselves and others from the virus.
This decision comes four months after the city ended a Covid vaccine mandate for private employers and 10 months after the vaccine requirements were lifted for athletes and performers.
According to CBS News, Sophy Medina, a firefighter said, “I’m just one person, and I’m one of many people, one of many women, one of many people of color that have been affected by this mandate. It’s preposterous and I definitely never want to see this again. So for me this is a big win but it’s not the end of the fight and I personally won’t stop fighting until everybody gets the opportunity to get their jobs back and that we have it in writing that this can never happen to us again.”
Unions representing workers who were fired for not submitting their vaccine proofs welcomed this decision but said that the job is half done. Patrick Lynch, a union leader said, “we call on the City to ensure that our members who were fired or had their employment unfairly impacted are reinstated, with back pay and without condition.”
Over 1,700 municipal workers who were fired last year will be able to reapply for their old jobs.
The United States’ most populated country will also be ending the 2021 vaccination requirement, for nonpublic schools, childcare, and daycare staff.