There is rising tension in New York City, the United States (US), over the deadline on vaccine mandate imposed by the government, which elapses this Monday. New York City commences enforcement of the Covid vaccine mandate for municipal workers on Monday, but thousands of workers refused to accept covid vaccines, and threaten to stay away from jobs. Though, the municipal authorities may tell the workers to stay home from offices.
The workers, National Daily gathered, are undeterred in their resistance to covid vaccine mandate and are determined to stay away from jobs which is also making employers panic over shortfall of the workforce required to provide services to clients. There is also the fear that the shortfall of the workforce will slow down activities and service delivery.
However, Municipal authorities expressed the belief that they can cope with the reduction in workers without a significant slowdown of city services. He listed some adjustment measures to sustain optimum productivity which include shuffling firefighters between companies and extending the workday for sanitation workers. City agencies were said to be taking steps to shore up coverage in the lead up to the mandate.
The authorities had stated that unvaccinated municipal employees without a medical or religious exemption, or a pending request in the court of law for exemption, will be placed on unpaid compulsory leave.
Danielle Filson, Press Secretary for Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a statement on Monday, indicated that “over 91 percent of New York City workers have stepped up for their communities and gotten the shot.”
Filson expressed the optimism: “with such strong numbers and dedicated public servants who never fail to go above and beyond, we expect services to run smoothly.”
Official estimate at the New York Police Department, indicated that “as many as 2,500 employees could be placed on leave on Monday as the department begins enforcing the vaccine mandate.”
A high-ranking official at the New York Police Department, however, noted that the number was falling because some personnel were getting immunized at the last minute.
It was further indicated that the New York City Police Department, which has about 36,000 uniformed officers and 19,000 civilian employees, is confident that the department can manage the absence of the unvaccinated employees without taking measures such as canceling days off and moving to 12-hour shifts.
The Sanitation Department in its adjustment to the enforcement has placed workers on 12-hour shifts, as well as ordering many of the workers to plan to come to work on Sundays.
The vaccine mandate has been contentious in the US, prompting lawsuits against the Biden administration. Many citizens and some state governments have sued the Biden administration in court over issues of exemptions or punishment while there are pending exemption suits.