NYC Public School Staff Are First Broad Group Of City Workers With Vaccine Mandate

New York officials on Monday said that the city will require every public school employee to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by Sept. 27, making it the first no-option vaccination mandate for a broad group of city workers.

Teachers, principals, custodians and all central office staff will need to show proof that they have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This is a slight change from the city’s announcement last month, which gave employees options to get tested instead of getting the vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter and Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said in their announcement.

“We want our schools to be extraordinarily safe,” de Blasio said.

This new mandate comes moments after the Food and Drug Administration officially approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in hopes that more people would get vaccinated.

Now, about 148,000 public school employees and contractors who work in schools are running against the clock to get vaccinated as they prepare for the city’s almost 1 million public school students that are starting school Sept. 13.

The city has yet to reveal whether there will be any penalties or exemptions for those who refuse vaccination.

According to The New York Times, de Blasio is still negotiating with the United Federation of Teachers on how to manage staffers who do not comply with the mandate.

At least 63% of all school employees have already been vaccinated. That figure does not include those who may have gotten their shots outside the city, the Associated Press noted.

Porter said Monday that the school staff vaccination mandate is "another layer of protection for our kids."

As New York City residents await more details about the vaccine mandate, the announcement could be reassuring to the anxious families hesitant in sending their kids back into school buildings as the Delta variant roams large.

This latest development could also mean the city could be facing larger mandates as COVID cases continue to increase.

This is not New York’s first tightening of COVID-19 rules. As of Aug. 16, the city has required proof of vaccination to enter indoor public spaces such as restaurants, gyms and movie theaters.