New York City’s vaccine mandate for municipal workers has taken effect, and just 34 police officers have refused it – a far cry from the 10,000 threatened by the NYPD’s union.
Under the mandate announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio, all city municipal employees – including police, firefighters, and other civil servants – must either get vaccinated for Covid-19 or be put on unpaid leave.
Hundreds of city workers protested the mandate, and the New York Police Department’s largest union, the Police Benevolent Association, claimed it would take thousands of cops off the streets.
The union’s president, Patrick Lynch, particularly slammed Police Commissioner Dermot Shea for going along with the plan.
Less than three dozen NYPD officers were put on unpaid leave, and the department reported no interruption in service.
But while few workers were suspended over the mandate, a high number of them did call out sick.
"Since the mandate was issued, our medical leave spiked up and we know that," Mr Nigro said on Monday. »