But officials said 8,000 school workers had refused vaccinations and were placed on unpaid leave.
[N.Y.C. Schools’ Vaccine Mandate Is in Place. 96% of Teachers Got a Shot.]
The employee mandate for schools followed the state’s effort to require more than 650,000 hospital and nursing home workers to be vaccinated. The directive came into effect from last week, leading to last-minute rush for shots. As my colleague Daniel Slotnik pointed out, Northwell Health, the state’s largest health care provider, announced Monday that it had furloughed 1,400 employees who refused vaccination.
The school vaccination requirement was a test for Mayor Bill de Blasio that could have predetermined a broader vaccination push for other areas of the municipal task force. He proudly noted the city’s record in keeping school buildings open during the last academic year, when other districts turned to distance learning. He left a remote option for this year.
Last week, he increased coronavirus testing in schools and eased quarantine rules, aimed at minimizing the disruptions that came with repeated class closures during the first week of school last month. Unvaccinated students are now being tested weekly.
Low crossing guard? less hot food?
My colleague Eliza Shapiro, who covers education in New York, writes that some schools will probably face staffing shortages this week unless teachers who live without vaccinations get their first shot, as does school. was requested by Chancellor Misha Porter. “It’s never too late,” she said. “Welcome back to work. Our students need you.”