The clock is ticking for thousands of first responders in New York City, who have been mandated to either get a vaccine shot by 5:00 pm Eastern or risk losing their jobs.
Given tonight’s deadline, we may not know the full impact until possibly next week due to legal challenges. One New York judge is allowing the city’s mandate to proceed to deny a police union request for a temporary restraining order.
On the state front, an appeals court is expected to rule possibly next week on a federal judge’s decision allowing state health care workers a religious exemption.
More than 160,000 police, firefighters, and other NYC workers are questioning their value in being forced to comply with the city’s mandate. Many report not being given enough time to apply for religious or medical exemptions.
Protests boiled over Thursday outside Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s residence. Workers were told not to come to work Monday if they’re not fully vaccinated.
FDNY is the largest fire department in the U.S., with 68% of firefighters fully vaccinated. That leaves roughly 2,500 that haven’t complied. The department is desperate to staff the city’s 218 firehouses.
“You’re going to see dozens and dozens of firehouses closed,” said Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. “You’re going to see response times climb. It is inevitable. Lives are going to be lost.”
We’re seeing similar pushback in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. Chicago city workers sued Mayor Lori Lightfoot over her vaccine mandate. And in LA, roughly 2,000 employees could lose their job in mid-December if they don’t comply.
Nationwide, 25% of workers facing a mandate have yet to get the shot.
As CBN News reported, the Biden administration is facing another lawsuit from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling mandates overreaching.
Meanwhile, a letter was sent to the President, signed by 21 Attorneys General expressing their concerns with the administration’s decision to require federal contractors be vaccinated.
The National outlook for COVID-19 has improved considerably since September. Caseloads are flat or falling in more than 40 states. This as two-thirds of Americans ages 12 and up have been fully vaccinated.
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