Thousands of New York police officers, teachers, firefighters and other city employees were facing unemployment on Friday after refusing to be vaccinated against coronavirus.
As many as 3,000 public workers and 1,000 recent hires could lose their jobs by the end of the day as they have not proven compliance with a city mandate requiring at least two doses of Covid-19 vaccine.
The looming mass firing — one of the most drastic pandemic steps taken by US officials yet — has become a flashpoint in the row over whether government mandates requiring vaccination are fair or legal.
New York’s Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday said unvaccinated staffers were “quitting” — as they were choosing to leave their jobs by not following the rules.
The unvaccinated represent only about 1 per cent of the city’s 370,000-person workforce, said the mayor.
“There must be rules. We must follow them,” he said.
“The rule is to get vaccinated if you're a city employee. You have to follow that.”
US officials have used vaccine mandates to raise the national vaccination rate above 64 per cent, but have faced opposition from some Republicans, jurists and those who are hesitant or resistant over receiving the shot.
More than two dozen unions for teachers, police, firefighters and other New York City workers have challenged the local vaccine mandate — introduced by former mayor Bill de Blasio — in court.
The Police Benevolent Association said that the group has “fought to make the vaccine available to every member”, while also protecting their personal choices.
About 89 per cent of New York police force employees have been vaccinated, the city says.
Hundreds of city workers marched across the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday, chanting slogans against the mandate and carrying signs saying “Unvaccinated Lives Matter”.
New York on Wednesday joined a wave of Democrat-run US states to roll back mask mandates, as Covid-19 infection rates continued to drop.
Masks and vaccine mandates remain a hot political issue as the US heads towards midterm elections in November that will determine which party will control Congress.
