NYC Announces Covid-19 Vaccination Mandate For All Public School Employees, Without Option To Withdraw From Testing

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The mayor had previously announced that all municipal staff in the city, including teachers, were to be vaccinated or tested weekly by September 13. With this new mandate, however, all school staff are required to provide proof of vaccination of at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by September 27, the mayor said.

The New York Department of Education employs 143,000 people and serves 1.1 million students in more than 1,800 schools across the education system. At least 63% of those employees are vaccinated, Department Chancellor Meisha Porter said.

“This vaccination mandate is already in addition to the multi-layered measures we already have in place that have made our schools one of the safest places during Covid,” Porter said on Monday. “The use of a universal mask, physical distancing, health exams, tests and improved ventilation, increased hygiene and monitoring by the situation room – they all work together to provide full protection to our patients. children. “

New York City Department of Health commissioner Dave Chokshi said the warrant would help them with their layered approach to safety.

“This year we have a powerful new level of safety in immunization. Vaccination against Covid-19 among teachers and other staff as well as all eligible students is an essential strategy to get us back to school,” Chokshi said.

Across the city, about 76% of adult residents have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to city data.
Melissa Moy, a teacher at Yung Wing School PS 124, takes a lesson on an instructor with summer program students in person on July 22 in New York City.

The head of the United Teachers’ Federation, the union that represents most of New York’s public school teachers, said in a statement that the details of the mandate have yet to be negotiated.

“Our first priority is to keep our children safe and schools open. The city’s teachers have led the way on this issue, the vast majority already vaccinated,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

As the city asserts its legal authority to establish this mandate, there are many details of implementation, including provisions for medical exceptions, which by law must be negotiated with UFT and others. unions, and if necessary, resolved by arbitration. “

The advantages and disadvantages of a vaccination mandate

Teachers’ vaccination mandate is particularly important because children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination. Vaccinating all teachers would help build an immune shield around these unvaccinated students and help ensure that schools can remain open and safe this coming school year.

The idea of ​​a vaccination mandate is to provide a metaphorical stick that officials hope will push teachers to get vaccinated or face economic consequences. Yet the mandate will be difficult to implement and could lead to labor shortages if enough educators refuse the blow.

The mayor said he was not worried about teacher resignations stemming from the vaccination mandate.

“I have no doubts that this will work, we are going to see a lot of our teachers and other school staff getting vaccinated as a result of this tenure,” de Blasio said Monday.

De Blasio imposes Covid-19 vaccinations or weekly testing for all of New York City's municipal workforce, including teachers and police

He added: “Many teachers and other professionals aspire to work in the New York public school system for many reasons, including the way we pay.”

Under de Blasio, New York City has been at the forefront of the Covid-19 vaccine requirement. Earlier this month, New York City began requiring proof of vaccination to enter all restaurants, fitness centers and indoor entertainment venues, although the application does not begin until next month.

“If you are not vaccinated, unfortunately you will not be able to participate in a lot of things,” said de Blasio then. “If you want to participate fully in our society, you need to get vaccinated.”

The vaccination mandate is also part of de Blasio’s vaccine-focused strategy in this phase of the pandemic. New York City recommended the wearing of the mask but stopped before issuing an indoor mask warrant, in contrast to other major metropolitan areas like Washington DC and Los Angeles County.

“The overarching strategic direction is immunization, so we thought the right mix was to focus heavily on immunization, continue to move up the ranks with more and more vaccine requirements in place, and donate a very clear message to all New Yorkers strongly recommending the use of the mask regardless of vaccination status, ”de Blasio said in early August.

CNN’s Mallory Simon contributed to this report.

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